These are good filters to run. Everyone talks up the positives of startups but it is important to look out for the negatives as well (and the negatives were in

These are good filters to run. Everyone talks up the positives of startups but it is important to look out for the negatives as well (and the negatives were in my experience far nastier than the negatives of working for a big company). I have seen two types of startups: (1) the type started by people who have a very strong vision of the future and need to have the creative freedom to make their vision a reality; (2) those started by control freaks who want their own company because they can't stand to work with other people unless they are calling all the shots. These two archetypes often overlap but ultimately you want to be working for someone whose primary motivation is their vision for the future and not their need to control everything. Of course the real assholes typically won't come right out and tell you that they're assholes but that is what you have to tease out. One red flag that I overlooked, to my dismay: make sure the founders / executives have a consistent vision about where they want the company to be and how they think they'll get there. If management is not on the same page you are probably walking into a clusterfuck that you'll regret. Often startups have a sort of script they read from when interviewing employees to give the impression that everything is fantastic. On the surface it will appear that everything is harmonious but you absolutely need to see through the smoke and mirrors to make an informed decision.