I left a rather dull bank job to cross the country and join a startup. For those running statups, here's why I joined, what didn't matter and why I left: WHY

I left a rather dull bank job to cross the country and join a startup. For those running statups, here's why I joined, what didn't matter and why I left: WHY I JOINED 1. Lack of bureaucracy. Granted, I worked at an exceptionally bureaucratic bank, but I longed for a place where I could just do something without having 10 meetings to ask permission from people who weren't qualified to decide if the project was valid or not. Projects that could have taken months took years. 2. Benefits. The startup not only paid 100% of my health insurance premium, they offered great insurance. That's a big deal in the USA. I had a child who had a hospital stay. It cost me $100 out of pocket and would have cost tens of thousands otherwise. It was like having thousands of dollars added to my salary. 3. Relocation. They paid for movers to pack and ship my goods directly. I didn't have to mess with reimbursement or advances. If you're looking to get the best you can find from across the country, this can be a big deal. 3. A new language/challenge. I had started writing code in Python and loved it. It was a refreshing change. 4. Smart people. I can honestly say that the startup I worked for had the smartest staff of any place I've worked. It was intimidating at times, but I learned a lot in a very short period of time. I ended up touching a lot of parts of the system that I didn't have much experience with and it was a huge learning experience that will benefit me for the rest of my career. 5. Great hardware. I felt like I finally had enough horsepower on my development machine to actually do my job. The default was a well-equipped Mac, but other developers could choose what they needed. 6. A great location. This is less important, but was an attention-getter when they made me their initial pitch. Santa Monica, across the street from the beach/pier. I'm not sure how it could have gotten better. WHAT DIDN'T MATTER 1. The salary. I actually took a pay cut if you factor in the cost of living. I don't regret that decision. 2. Foosball table. Some people liked playing on a break during some very long hours, but I honestly just didn't get it. 2. Free food. They went all-out with the snacks and didn't hesitate to order-in food on our frequent late-nighters. I got fat. WHY I LEFT 1. The hours got way out of control. I knew there would be overtime, but it became far beyond what I could sustain. The startup went through a tight spot and we all pitched in to rebuild the site three times in less than a year. I've heard that the hours have leveled off and sometimes wonder if I shouldn't have stayed. TL;DR: Hire the best, give them the tools and environment to get their job done. Make relocation a no-brainer and health insurance (in the US, at least) best-in-class. Make salary competitive, but don't get in a bidding war with other companies. Offer the best location you can, and above all, don't burn people out.