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what risk? You were going to join a funded startup with revenues out of the gate. You were being offered enough salary to live comfortably and enough equity to

by byoung2 12y ago

what risk? You were going to join a funded startup with revenues out of the gate. You were being offered enough salary to live comfortably and enough equity to build a wonderful outcome for yourself and your family if your hard works pays off. Where is the risk in that? Were they profitable, or at least did they have a clear path to profitability? Monthly revenues of $20k is great, unless they are spending $50k per month to get it. If that is the case, $500k won't last long. That would be a risky place to join, if it weren't clear how to get to profitability.

opendais 12y ago
Ya, and there is no guarantee it would last either. A competitor might eat their lunch, etc. Also, to be perfectly honest, I imply the issue is with me when I decline jobs [e.g. I don't think I am good enough, I do not have the stomach for risk] regardless of the real reason. The last time I did that I asked some friends of mine if I should state what the real reason. The company in question was suing someone for making the same transition they were asking me to make, the hypocrisy of it combined with the fact it'd probably happen to me 5 years down the road when I changed jobs was the real reason I declined. People lie when they decline jobs because they don't want to create a greater negative impression that might be caused by the truth. That is also something I don't think the OP is taking into account. Another job interview apologized that I was not the perfect fit when I never had any intention of taking the job once I had gone in for the interview and heard more about them. The real reason they declined was I think they figured it out during the interview but we both played along until the end and stated different reasons that were as gentler than the reality to avoid a greater negative impression.
ironchef 12y ago
Bingo. And how generous is a "generous equity package"? Is this the founder / management team's first rodeo? Because things could _look_ rosy but still be crappy compared to that "safe job". What if you join this hot new startup and things look great only to have them screw you in some manner? It happens. "The only job security is the security you create for yourself." Sure. For some that might be to work for a startup. For some it might be to found a startup. For some it might be to work for a "safe" company doing something innovative (it happens). Risk ultimately is weighing the probability of some amount of loss versus some amount of gain. It is subjective and historically informed. The OP stated "Think about it: when is the hardest in your life that you’ve worked? For me, it was when everything was on the line. Not just my job, but my income, my children’s schooling, and our groceries. I wasn’t working hard to impress my boss, get a promotion, or avoid a negative performance review. I was working hard to make ends meet." That's fine for him. I would rather not be in a position where my children's education is on the line. Does that mean I don't potentially hit the high gains the OP has? Maybe. Or perhaps others are making more informed decisions or slightly different risk-based decisions (maybe that key hire ended up going to a company who already has their series A or B, has better revenue / pipeline, and is going for a slightly lower equity package..that's still risky it's just not as risky what OP seems to be suggesting)

by byoung2 12y ago

opendais 12y ago

Ya, and there is no guarantee it would last either. A competitor might eat their lunch, etc. Also, to be perfectly honest, I imply the issue is with me when I decline jobs [e.g. I don't think I am good enough, I do not have the stomach for risk] regardless of the real reason. The last time I did that I asked some friends of mine if I should state what the real reason. The company in question was suing someone for making the same transition they were asking me to make, the hypocrisy of it combined with the fact it'd probably happen to me 5 years down the road when I changed jobs was the real reason I declined. People lie when they decline jobs because they don't want to create a greater negative impression that might be caused by the truth. That is also something I don't think the OP is taking into account. Another job interview apologized that I was not the perfect fit when I never had any intention of taking the job once I had gone in for the interview and heard more about them. The real reason they declined was I think they figured it out during the interview but we both played along until the end and stated different reasons that were as gentler than the reality to avoid a greater negative impression.

ironchef 12y ago

Bingo. And how generous is a "generous equity package"? Is this the founder / management team's first rodeo? Because things could _look_ rosy but still be crappy compared to that "safe job". What if you join this hot new startup and things look great only to have them screw you in some manner? It happens. "The only job security is the security you create for yourself." Sure. For some that might be to work for a startup. For some it might be to found a startup. For some it might be to work for a "safe" company doing something innovative (it happens). Risk ultimately is weighing the probability of some amount of loss versus some amount of gain. It is subjective and historically informed. The OP stated "Think about it: when is the hardest in your life that you’ve worked? For me, it was when everything was on the line. Not just my job, but my income, my children’s schooling, and our groceries. I wasn’t working hard to impress my boss, get a promotion, or avoid a negative performance review. I was working hard to make ends meet." That's fine for him. I would rather not be in a position where my children's education is on the line. Does that mean I don't potentially hit the high gains the OP has? Maybe. Or perhaps others are making more informed decisions or slightly different risk-based decisions (maybe that key hire ended up going to a company who already has their series A or B, has better revenue / pipeline, and is going for a slightly lower equity package..that's still risky it's just not as risky what OP seems to be suggesting)