4 ms·
As a startup casualty, I can relate to this. I've been an early stage employee (< 10) at 4 startups over the past 10 years and I haven't made a dime, relativel
by menloparkbum 18y ago
As a startup casualty, I can relate to this.
I've been an early stage employee (< 10) at 4 startups over the past 10 years and I haven't made a dime, relatively speaking. These weren't obviously doomed startups, either. At least one of them is still wistfully mentioned by other successful software entrepreneurs as an inspiration[1].
It is a bit trying on your psyche when personal friends have 10s of millions of dollars and you're scrambling to justify why you want to get paid $100K. In a down economy, you often are scrambling to justify why you want to get paid $60K or should be hired at all. At these times those jobs where even the worst get paid $150K sound like a better idea.
Of course it's not all about the money but your landlord, wife, kids, potential dates, aging parents, car salesman and cellular data plan provider will tell you otherwise.
[1] None of whom actually worked at that startup
- tk999 18y agoso true... completely agree on this.. I am exactly in the same boat. It is tough out there.
- mikebo 18y agoYeah, I too know this feeling. I started out my career working at a BigCo making a nice salary/stock/bonus. After 3 years there I left to join a early startup (engineer #4) and took a 30% paycut so I could get more stock. 2.5 years later and I've earned a bunch more stock grants, but my salary has stayed flat (my choice -- we were on a good trajectory so I always preferred stock options over salary bumps). Now our prospects are not looking good and I doubt there is any upside to the stock. I definitely considered this scenario when deciding to join the startup, and I always rationalized it as "at the very least it will be a good experience". Well, it definitely was good experience, and I learned a lot more at the startup than the BigCo, but as I consider my next career move I'm not exactly sure what the right move is. Who knows, w/ the economy how it is I will probably just have to take what I can get :).