If you love the idea of entrepreneurship, but you’re not quite ready to build your own company yet –perhaps, because you need more time to fine-tune your technical skillsets and gain some real world experience—then, an offer to work in a startup can be exceptionally attractive.
It’s easy to get hooked when the interviewer tosses trigger words into the conversation like “casual attire,” “fun office,” “ground-level opportunity,” “rapid advancement for the right people,” and “plenty of room for growth.” You might be even more intrigued when asked non-traditional interview questions to ferret out your knack for creative thinking.
Still, although it’s certainly true that if the opportunity with the new company beats out other well-known businesses in the marketplace, and that your chance of playing with smart, innovative, and enterprising people could fast-track your career, you need to temper your enthusiasm with realistic expectations before accepting a job at a startup.
Some Common Things to Expect
While, of course, all startups are different and the one you sign-up for may be particularly well-funded and impeccably organized, here are some experiences common to many startups:
1) No equipment
It’s not unusual for you to have to bring your own device and even be expected to upgrade your laptop at your own expense if you have to work with resource-intensive applications. Moreover, this is just one example of the many ways that you may have to be self-reliant when it comes to taking care of your equipment needs. Unlike working for an established firm, where everything you need to get the job done is provided for you, it’s common for a startup to ask employees to improvise when working with limited resources.
2) No dedicated office space
The company may not actually have a dedicated office, but rather utilize the benefits of working remotely coupled with virtual office services. This is common for companies that only occasionally need to negotiate contracts or hold in-person meetings with clients in a beautiful, fully-equipped office. In fact, MODI offices may be quietly redefining the workplace. The word “MODI” combines “MOD” from “modern” and “I” from “Intelligent.” Modi virtual offices in Irvine California offer knowledgeable staff, sophisticated office equipment, and provide a modern office environment for businesses that only needs an interim ready-to-go office space.
3) No fixed business structure
Over time, most companies identify all their core operational processes and provide their employees with well-defined job descriptions. However, at a startup, structure is flexible and job descriptions are fluid. One day, you could be coding for a new application; another day, you could be contributing ideas on the benefits to include in website sales copy; and on the day after, you could be explaining to new prospects how your business can help them achieve their results faster than anyone else in the industry.
4) Unpaid overtime
At times, the whole team could be falling behind a promised deadline and if not completed in time, a major client could withdraw the work, which might result in financial hardships for everyone at the startup. If you’re not willing to sacrifice your family time to pitch in on these emergencies, then you face the risk of being offloaded in the future under a flimsy pretext. You may also have to make other sacrifices, like skipping lunch breaks or sharing your limited workspace with new employees.
Risk and Reward
When you first start work, you have no idea how things will go. On one hand, you could enjoy the freedom of working from home on many projects while still playing a vital role in helping the founder manifest his or her dream and be handsomely rewarded for your invaluable contributions. On the other hand, unexpected problems, poor supervision impulsive decisions, erratic actions, and project scope creep could result in everything falling apart quite dramatically.
However, one thing is for certain, whether the business succeeds or fails, you will certainly learn a lot. In recounting his experience working at the Macintosh division of Apple, Guy Kawasaki succinctly describes what he learned from the experience of working with the visionary founder: “Steve Jobs taught me that some things need to be believed to be seen. Skeptics refuse to believe in something until they see it. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to believe in your idea. This is why Steve Jobs changed the world while most people waited for the world to change.”
Would any of these things stop you from working at a startup? If you know others who have worked at startups – or perhaps you even have – what additional tips would you add to this list?
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