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Some of the comments here are focusing on the "fired" and "CEO" aspects of this post and missing the bigger picture: The hardest part of working at a growth st

Some of the comments here are focusing on the "fired" and "CEO" aspects of this post and missing the bigger picture: The hardest part of working at a growth startup is that it is exhausting. The downside and upside of this are two sides of the same coin: you're basically working at multiple different companies throughout the growth process. People who get comfortable at a given point in time are left behind when the company continues to scale. People who are scaling themselves have frequent opportunities to take on more responsibility and choose their own adventure. You aren't literally "re-interviewing for your job every year" but you do need to grow with the company or the company will hire externally to fill the needs that have emerged. -- A related note is that not every individual thrives at all of these stages. You don't need to "constantly scale yourself" if that isn't what you want to do. Move on when the time is right or join companies at the level of maturity that you prefer. Some people love the initial launch and scrappy small team vibe; some people hate the chaos and prefer more structure. Some like being told what to do; some hate hierarchies and "bureaucratic red tape!". Some like to build from nothing; some like to refine and optimize what exists. Be aware of your optimal environment, needs, and goals then try to find roles and companies that are a good fit.

staysaasy 6y ago
"A related note is that not every individual thrives at all of these stages. You don't need to "constantly scale yourself" if that isn't what you want to do. Move on when the time is right or join companies at the level of maturity that you prefer." OP here, agreed on that. Another interesting thing I've noticed is that some people thrive at several different stages – e.g. great at ideation in the early scrappy days, and also great when you need new ideas during later growth stages, but less likely to thrive in between. There aren't really black and white answers. Thanks for reading!

staysaasy 6y ago

"A related note is that not every individual thrives at all of these stages. You don't need to "constantly scale yourself" if that isn't what you want to do. Move on when the time is right or join companies at the level of maturity that you prefer." OP here, agreed on that. Another interesting thing I've noticed is that some people thrive at several different stages – e.g. great at ideation in the early scrappy days, and also great when you need new ideas during later growth stages, but less likely to thrive in between. There aren't really black and white answers. Thanks for reading!