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>> "But if you believe in equity, you are far better off being a founder than an early employee" But not everyone is cut out to be a found or has a good idea t

>> "But if you believe in equity, you are far better off being a founder than an early employee" But not everyone is cut out to be a found or has a good idea they can execute on. For those people being an early employee is the best they can do. It's also incredibly more stressful being a founder and a lot of people don't want that. They are happy to take a lower than market salary in exchange for lottery ticket (equity).

eropple 12y ago
Employee #1 is taking on 80% of the risk of a founder for usually a sliver of the upside. I know a lot of single-digit startup employees and I really think you're doing them a disservice by characterizing that role as really at all less stressful than being a founder. You see founders parachute straight into consulting or speaking after flaming out of their tech startup. Their team needs to go get jobs.
- smtddr 12y ago
  >>Their team needs to go get jobs. I can't speak for everywhere on earth but in this current Bay Area tech job market, I can just as easily parachute into a well-paying, full-time gig at $TRENDY_TECH_COMPANY. You build interesting experience & insight being the first-hire and, if you're actually a skilled engineer, shouldn't have a problem finding your next job in about 4 to 6 weeks if things don't work out.
  - eropple 12y ago
    Sure. But the amount of risk you're taking on, relative to the reward, is much, much, much higher. Management consultants make a lot more than code jockeys do.
- k-mcgrady 12y ago
  It's still stressful but nowhere near as stressful. For instance - employees get a salary, founders usually don't. That alone makes a huge difference. The founder has to keep the startup alive, try to find funding, direct the product all while one bad decision could kill it. The employee has to do what the founder asks, do it well, and go home at the end of the day. Being an early employee is still more stressful than a normal job especially as there is no one to help out if you're stuck, but I think the difference between founder and early employee stress is vast.
ryandrake 12y ago
Not to mention not everyone has 6-18 months of expenses saved up to live off of while they try their start-up, not to mention capital to start the business. I'd go off and found a startup tomorrow if I had some way to keep paying my mortgage and feeding three mouths for however many years it took to adequeately replace my current income.

eropple 12y ago

Employee #1 is taking on 80% of the risk of a founder for usually a sliver of the upside. I know a lot of single-digit startup employees and I really think you're doing them a disservice by characterizing that role as really at all less stressful than being a founder. You see founders parachute straight into consulting or speaking after flaming out of their tech startup. Their team needs to go get jobs.

smtddr 12y ago
>>Their team needs to go get jobs. I can't speak for everywhere on earth but in this current Bay Area tech job market, I can just as easily parachute into a well-paying, full-time gig at $TRENDY_TECH_COMPANY. You build interesting experience & insight being the first-hire and, if you're actually a skilled engineer, shouldn't have a problem finding your next job in about 4 to 6 weeks if things don't work out.
- eropple 12y ago
  Sure. But the amount of risk you're taking on, relative to the reward, is much, much, much higher. Management consultants make a lot more than code jockeys do.
k-mcgrady 12y ago
It's still stressful but nowhere near as stressful. For instance - employees get a salary, founders usually don't. That alone makes a huge difference. The founder has to keep the startup alive, try to find funding, direct the product all while one bad decision could kill it. The employee has to do what the founder asks, do it well, and go home at the end of the day. Being an early employee is still more stressful than a normal job especially as there is no one to help out if you're stuck, but I think the difference between founder and early employee stress is vast.

ryandrake 12y ago

Not to mention not everyone has 6-18 months of expenses saved up to live off of while they try their start-up, not to mention capital to start the business. I'd go off and found a startup tomorrow if I had some way to keep paying my mortgage and feeding three mouths for however many years it took to adequeately replace my current income.