Working in a Startup (The Good & Bad)
Key Takeaways
- High responsibility and steep learning curve
- Exposure to all facets of Business and fast career growth
- Work with Some amazing people
- Chaotic Work Environment and poor work-life balance
- Stressful atmosphere due to the high pace of change
- Consider a 2-3 year stint to gain valuable experience, accelerating your career and learning
- Do talk to someone internally before joining
Context
In the past few years, startups have grown exponentially, introducing us all to new innovations and ideas. Startups hire people from different backgrounds, especially young people. Even seasoned professionals choose to work in startups, especially in consulting. In the past few years, Startups have been the biggest employers for students across all premium engineering and MBA colleges. When personally hiring across such colleges, I could sense a keen interest from all students to work in a Startup as they provide with most people the right platform to learn multiple things in a short period which is very hard to come by in typical organisations
To anyone interested in exploring opportunities, let me elucidate what one gains while working in a Startup. These are based on my personal experiences while working in the Taxi Mobility space along with numerous conversations I was lucky to be part of people working across a wide spectrum of Startups in India
The Good
Responsibility and Learning opportunities
You are part of a small team from the start where your work approach and problem-solving ability pave the way for you. The learning curve is steep, wherein you are expected to grasp new concepts quickly and apply them without any delay. No matter what your level is in the team, you are expected to play an active role, expected to deliver from day one.
As a result, you become more accountable, dependable, adaptable, and eager to learn new things for advancement. You can operate effectively in a startup since employees are empowered to make decisions when necessary.
Business Exposure
You are exposed to different facets of a business early on, allowing you to grasp what impact you have on the business quickly. Flexibility to explore other functions within a company is encouraged. This provides you with a long-term advantage as in today’s time Generalists tend to find more success than specialists. (You can refer to this book to understand more about this)
Career Opportunities
Working for a startup offers an excellent opportunity to take the initiative and lead, as your responsibilities scale along with the startup. Startups offer a great opportunity for young people with a thirst for experience to advance their careers.
Startup years are like dog years; there, one year is equivalent to seven elsewhere. The amount of learning I experienced within one year was way beyond what I could expect working in any large company in India. I worked in Jio for around a year and when I looked at my first 3 months at TaxiFoSure, I could see my learnings were almost 5X more.
Working with Smart People
Startups are filled with enthusiastic, motivated individuals who genuinely want to work there. Perhaps the nicest feeling you can have at work is waking up each morning eager to tackle a new challenge. You are challenged on an intellectual level, which was one of the biggest joys I felt during my time. The numerous debates and discussions help you in ways that it can only be experienced.
Most startup founders are available for interaction regularly in both formal and informal settings, helping you gain a broader perspective. When working in Jio, it was a major event whenever Mukesh Ambani used to visit the office but in a Startup, chatting with the founder over a cup of coffee is pretty normal.
The Bad
Working in a startup provides learning opportunities that are hard to come by elsewhere. Though it has its advantages, not everything is as rosy as it appears from the outside.
Chaotic Environment
Changes happen quickly and often based on investor feedback. These changes are implemented quickly, leaving employees feeling unsettled. The constant change in focus can lead to disillusionment. Unrealistic expectations are placed on employees, and failure to meet them can lead to job insecurity. As startups mature, the fun in the workplace ends and it soon becomes chaotic, with employees unsure of what is happening and whether their work will be cancelled at any moment.
Work-Life Balance
Employees are expected to work long hours, often 12-18 hours a day for 6-7 days a week. Taking time off is difficult, as workloads pile up. Profit pressures have caused many startups to become more like sweatshops than the informal environment they were known for in the beginning. As experienced people from large organisations join, meetings become the norm, lasting more than an hour, and employees are expected to finish their daily work before leaving. This leads to burnout, particularly among middle and higher management. Few have focused on adjusting the culture for better work-life balance.
Work Environment
Though many people join startups expecting an informal work culture with casual dress, flexible hours and fast execution, this is rarely the case unless the startup has developed a robust work culture and process. Young employees who join at an early stage often lack the experience of those who join later, leading to ego clashes. This can spread toxicity throughout the team, causing people to move to other teams or organisations.
In many workplaces, maximising employee productivity is the norm, with people treated as numbers on an Excel sheet. Conversations with cab drivers and delivery people can shed light on how hard it has become for those at lower levels to sustain similar earnings. As investors push startups to be operationally profitable, drastic changes in their business model can lead to a stressful work environment.
Conclusion
Working in a startup provides learning opportunities that are hard to come by elsewhere. In my view, if you are comfortable with frequent changes, I would suggest working for 2-3 years to set the stage for better future career prospects. The problems you face in a startup are multiplied when compared to working for a conventional MNC, while also helping you learn what not to do with the least career impact. I would certainly recommend conversing with a few individuals to get a sense of the company and even the team you will be joining, to avoid future shocks.
Feel free to drop me a message if you wish to inquire about anything related to working in a startup.