4 ms·

Ask HN: At a startup with high IPO potential but it sucks, should I stay?

I'm working for this company and it's terrible. Lots of micro management, terrible technology, no remote work flexibility and I'm not really writing that much code - feeling my skills blunting. Under normal circumstances, I would leave and find a place that aligns with the lifestyle I want to lead however this company has offered me a generous options package with an impending IPO in the next 2 years. On one hand, I feel like it would be stupid to leave the company. On the other hand, I know I will be unhappy for the next two years. What would you do?

PaulHoule 5y ago
For one thing you should clarify (for yourself) what you think the probability distribution of the payout is. An IPO payout could mean having freedom about what to do in the future, but it could also be worth $0 (certainly the mode of the distribution if not the median.) For many it turns out to be between the down payment for a car or a house -- not life changing. A likely outcome for someone like yourself is that you keep working at a job you hate, get no payout, get another job under the same terms and after doing it five times you get a payout, put the money into your own money as founder and repeat the same mistakes as your current boss because you spent so much time immersed in that culture.
emmap21 5y ago
It's a common startup problem. I have no doubt. Most of startup suck, honestly. However, there is a few reason why a few thrive. You might want to check: * Why would you join a startup? Wealth? Opportunity? Or some deep meanings. * Which stage is it? The earlier it is, the worsen a company is managed. In your case, a late stage company still in a turmoil is a huge question mark. * For startups, it's always better with showcase than a promise. If I were you, I would take a reference that matched to the first bullet.
ThrowawayR2 5y ago
What's your mental and physical health worth? There are some things doctors can't fix; I learned that the hard way.
- readonthegoapp 5y ago
  preach. there was that recent article here on HN about how the computer destroyed the human body, or something like that. interesting tidbit was that Shoshana Zuboff, the awesome 'surveillance capitalism' teacher/author/activist, wrote a book back in the 80s studying what computers were doing to us. yeah, i'd say it's hard to talk about staying put when we don't even have theoretical numbers to talk about. for $500k payout? eh. for $1M payout? stay. that might be my calculous. but depends on how bad it is. micromanaging is brutal. it sounds like you're getting counter-offered. that would change things. 2 years is a _long_ time not to live up to your potential, not to be engaged, to be micromanaged, etc. i'm interviewing lately, and get some gruff about moving around - only some of which were my choice. you run in the startup world, you get laid-off, acquisitions, etc. oddly enough, my last one was by a very large bank, so.... point is - i often want to ask folks, "You never had a monster boss? You never had an insanely dull work life and wanted to be engaged? You never wanted to try your own startup? You never wanted to live?" My ideal would always be at a smaller company -- 5 people, 25 people, < 200 people. If you're a FIRE type, then I'd advise staying put. If you want to live a full life, bounce. ...ps, i'd also advise taking some of that hefty paycheck and finding an actual expert workplace consultant to find out how you might be able to fix the micromanagement, and/or anything else that needed urgent addressing. and even if you're too cheap to drop a little coin to try and fix your job situation, you can still _try_ to fix things. it most likely won't work, but as least you'll be a bit more satisfied that you actually tried. and that's regardless of whether you end up staying or going.

PaulHoule 5y ago

For one thing you should clarify (for yourself) what you think the probability distribution of the payout is. An IPO payout could mean having freedom about what to do in the future, but it could also be worth $0 (certainly the mode of the distribution if not the median.) For many it turns out to be between the down payment for a car or a house -- not life changing. A likely outcome for someone like yourself is that you keep working at a job you hate, get no payout, get another job under the same terms and after doing it five times you get a payout, put the money into your own money as founder and repeat the same mistakes as your current boss because you spent so much time immersed in that culture.

emmap21 5y ago

It's a common startup problem. I have no doubt. Most of startup suck, honestly. However, there is a few reason why a few thrive. You might want to check: * Why would you join a startup? Wealth? Opportunity? Or some deep meanings. * Which stage is it? The earlier it is, the worsen a company is managed. In your case, a late stage company still in a turmoil is a huge question mark. * For startups, it's always better with showcase than a promise. If I were you, I would take a reference that matched to the first bullet.

ThrowawayR2 5y ago

What's your mental and physical health worth? There are some things doctors can't fix; I learned that the hard way.

readonthegoapp 5y ago
preach. there was that recent article here on HN about how the computer destroyed the human body, or something like that. interesting tidbit was that Shoshana Zuboff, the awesome 'surveillance capitalism' teacher/author/activist, wrote a book back in the 80s studying what computers were doing to us. yeah, i'd say it's hard to talk about staying put when we don't even have theoretical numbers to talk about. for $500k payout? eh. for $1M payout? stay. that might be my calculous. but depends on how bad it is. micromanaging is brutal. it sounds like you're getting counter-offered. that would change things. 2 years is a _long_ time not to live up to your potential, not to be engaged, to be micromanaged, etc. i'm interviewing lately, and get some gruff about moving around - only some of which were my choice. you run in the startup world, you get laid-off, acquisitions, etc. oddly enough, my last one was by a very large bank, so.... point is - i often want to ask folks, "You never had a monster boss? You never had an insanely dull work life and wanted to be engaged? You never wanted to try your own startup? You never wanted to live?" My ideal would always be at a smaller company -- 5 people, 25 people, < 200 people. If you're a FIRE type, then I'd advise staying put. If you want to live a full life, bounce. ...ps, i'd also advise taking some of that hefty paycheck and finding an actual expert workplace consultant to find out how you might be able to fix the micromanagement, and/or anything else that needed urgent addressing. and even if you're too cheap to drop a little coin to try and fix your job situation, you can still _try_ to fix things. it most likely won't work, but as least you'll be a bit more satisfied that you actually tried. and that's regardless of whether you end up staying or going.