5 ms·

Basically everyone knows by now, being an employee at an early stage startup is a suckers bet. You’re literally working to make someone else rich. Just go work

• majormajor 7y ago
  It sucks if you want to work on new ideas, and not just be a cog in a giant machine, but don't have an idea of your own you think is worth founding. The money is the trade-off for the big corporate shenanigans and relative lack of intrinsically motivating work.
• ska 7y ago
  This is often true from a raw compensation point of view, but it isn't as if the jobs are fungible. Nothing wrong with deciding a startup is best for you, so long as you are going into eyes open and don't believe some nonsense like "the options will make up for the salary difference".
• tempsy 7y ago
  I got lucky though at 2 startups, and day to day probably a lot more interesting than working as another cog in a big co. Definitely made more than I would’ve given my level.
• sub7 7y ago
  I did 3 stsartups as an early employee. First raised 27M then acquihired, common stock wiped out. Second is still going strong and profitable, my 2 years there will probably net me a few 100k. Third was a home run, my 6 years there made me $10M+ and I now have secondary firms chasing me for a piece. Startups can work, but you need to be really good and get really lucky and not stop after a failure.