Want to work at a startup?

Amazing companies have been born in difficult times - just look at some of the companies coming out of the Great Recession: Slack, Dropbox, Airbnb, my clients Venmo and MongoDb, along with many others. Many startups are actually doing very well right now - direct to consumer, remote tools, the ubiquitous zoom - and large so-called safe companies are laying people off. I think the advice to job seekers is the same now as it ever was, applicable to both established companies and startups: Do you believe in the mission, do you align with the culture? Will this job give you new and valuable skills, experiences and network? That way you'll have a good experience and and gain a valuable asset that you can continue to use there or which will bridge you to your next role. One last thing to say about startups: because of their less-hierarchical and dynamic nature, you will get to take on more responsibility and be offered more opportunities to do interesting things much more quickly than?at a large, established company.

Andrew, thanks for the invitation to comment on this post. The question isn’t should people join startups during these times, it’s how well these people know themselves and if they’ll be happier and more satisfied than they currently are if they’re at a new company. Research from The Myers-Briggs Company shows that an individual’s personality type doesn’t determine how successful people will be as entrepreneurs or at startups, but shows that those with self-awareness can capitalize on strengths and develop their blind spots while navigating a career. For example, those with dominant introverted Sensing preferences (ISTJ and ISFJ) on the MBTI? tool are generally detail oriented and pride themselves on being reliable. But they may be risk-averse, leading to missed opportunities. ISTJs and ISFJs should therefore actively attempt new things if they’re to adapt during these turbulent times.

Uncertainty will always be a constant in the equation. A pandemic may increase that level drastically. Uncertainty is present in good times as well. How can a person be more certain of what choice to make in their new job? The longevity of a job is determined by their level of alignment in values, potential to contribute and influence decisions. More money and perceived stability doesn't equal a greater reward (intrinsically anyway). As unpredictable as the times are, if you believe in the vision of a new start up, align with the core values, and can earn a modest living, the value of your job may prove to be a more rewarding experience. An employee may have an opportunity to contribute significantly to the direction of the company and grow with the company over time. One condition looms, staying afloat. Sometimes there is more fun in the adventure and possibility to innovate. Risk and reward must still be weighed per individual. Regardless of size and financial certainty in the company, an individual should align in their core values for their long term satisfaction. If a person doesn't feel as though they have an opportunity to make their contribution, things grow old very quickly.

Hi Andrew - Thanks for your email and request for me to comment on this subject matter. As a rule of thumb, I always encourage my clients to really take the time to investigate the companies, including start-ups, they are interested in working for (especially now) - ensure that the company/start-up aligns with your values, your mission and provides an internal culture that fosters inclusion, diversity and equity amongst its employees. Companies want to know that prospective candidates have investigated the company and have come to the interview with prepared questions and concerns. Now, even more so than before, companies are looking to "invest" in their new hires so now is the time to do your research, demonstrate your value and worth, and lean into your desire to be a part of a company or start-up that will provide you a return on your investment with them.

Andrew, thanks for your email and the invitation to comment on this post. When considering opportunities at startups jobseekers would be wise to look at the following: Team. Startups are always risky, but great teams with good ideas have the best chance of success. Companies founded by “A” players with “B” ideas are a better bet than “B” players with “A” ideas. Look for a senior team that has the vision and leadership skills to develop a high functioning organization; and the intellectual horsepower, creativity and adaptability to pivot, if necessary. Funding. Investors are still putting a lot of capital into companies they see as having strong potential. Some are young startups, others more established. Mitigate risk by following the money. Companies should have at least one year of runway. ?? Stage. While smaller, earlier stage companies will likely allow for more cross-functional work and economic upside potential, there is a greater degree of risk-reward than with later stage organizations. Those who are risk averse might look for opportunities with startups that have found product-market fit. Culture. In startups, culture determines fit. Values and priorities of the candidate and company should be aligned.

Agree with many of the thoughts above. My thoughts on the decision of startup would be to focus their search on companies where their experience, qualifications, education and skills would most benefit. Not just the “usual suspects”. As they search, the job seeker might find that many of those might just be startups. I find that too many job seekers are focusing just on what’s out there on the job boards. Many more opportunities are available through networking and connections (I think I saw a WSJ article citing that 80% of jobs aren’t posted which means that 4x of what you see on a job board, you won’t have access to unless you network!). And plus many of the big companies are on hiring freezes anyways, so job seekers definitely shouldn’t ignore startups. So perhaps consider these options: - are you finding that there are plenty of opportunities that you are qualified for on the job boards? If so, keep applying until they are exhausted. If not, (and probably at the same time) network at the companies where you feel you could add value (big, medium, small and startup alike). I would guess that there would be a limited number of established companies, so at some point the job seeker would need to connect with startups.

Job seeking is all about your tolerance for risk Andrew Seaman. Meaning that if you are more comfortable with having a more traditional career path, defined job scope, stated salary, etc., then seeking organizations that can provide that for you is what you should focus on in your job search. If you’re open to that new start-up, where it will more than likely be, you carving out and figuring out a lot of stuff including your job as you go; knowing that this may take time, the pay may not be guaranteed and; you maybe doing many things that you didn’t anticipate, but that’s still exciting to you, then it’s a career path to consider taking. I always tell individuals know what the end game is that you want to achieve. Know this personally and professionally as they go hand-in -hand, is critical to your overall success. Back into the outcome and assess your actions against it. P.S. This goes for anything that you want and your career is no different. Make sure you assess if what you want to do or are being offered from an organization in your job search will help or not help you in achieving the professional outcomes you want.