Transitioning From Corporate to Startup and the Things I Couldn’t Foresee

More and more people are considering the transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship. As someone who has made this journey, I thought it would be helpful to share my experiences and insights. This is based on my personal journey but also includes the experiences of friends and colleagues. I’ve had countless conversations over coffee, mentoring sessions, and lectures with aspiring entrepreneurs. I hope that sharing my story here may serve as a useful guide for you or someone you know.

For 15 years, I was part of the corporate world, navigating through a myriad of changes in teams, roles, mergers and acquisitions, economic crises, and layoffs. I understood the rules of the game and, for the most part, played it well. I found contentment in my work and was fortunate to be part of a company where I had great opportunities, learned from highly capable people, and contributed to building something incredible.

However, after much reflection and planning, I decided to quit. This was not a decision made overnight. I ensured I wasn’t making a rash decision, and once I was certain, I communicated my intent to my boss, my onsite and remote team, the C-suite, and my peers.

My transition wasn’t just a move from one company to another; I was leaving the corporate world to join a recently founded startup. The reactions I received were varied, ranging from “You’re crazy” and “You’re so brave, I wish I could do the same” to “You should take some time off and rethink” and “Every woman should do this at some point, take a break from the corporate world and have more time for kids and husband.”

I was grateful for the support I received from most senior executives, some of whom were even enthusiastic. One executive, who had himself left and returned to the corporate world, told me: “You will miss the real friends you made here; you will be disappointed with the ones you thought were friends but aren’t. And you will miss having an assistant.” - His advice was spot on.

Like many others, I was quite prepared for the downsides of this transition. I had saved money and was aware of what I would lose: benefits package, status, established processes and company structure, and a monthly salary not directly impacted by industry trends or business performance. Despite all this, I still wanted to make the move, making me one of those ‘crazy’ people.

It’s easy to list the cons, select the most important ones, and decide what to do. You might miss the perks of corporate life, but you’ve done your homework and believe the benefits will outweigh the cons. But is that really the case??

Let me tell you why it might not be.

While sitting in my office late at night, making lists and reading articles about recent entrepreneurs, I had a good grasp of what was coming. However, there were aspects I couldn’t foresee until I experienced the new reality, which I summarize here:

Structure:?

You may complain about it in the corporate world, but trust me, you’ll miss it immensely in a startup. Remember the processes, committees, data inputs in different systems, bulletins in your inbox, meetings with 15 people, and the restrictions on IT infrastructure? You might think the legal and procurement departments exist only to make your job more difficult. But in a startup, you’ll dream of having a legal department to handle issues and an HR team to manage recruitment or address training needs.

Adapting to Less Bureaucracy:?

After many years in large companies, you might dream of working with less bureaucracy. However, it’s not easy to leave it behind. In a startup, you have all the freedom you could want, but it takes time to shed the corporate mindset. You need to understand that things can and should move faster in startups. It takes a while to act more loosely and enjoy the fact that you can do crazy things, test ideas, use creativity, and not have to follow established procedures.

Lifestyle Changes:?

You might dream about managing your calendar, taking your kids to school, having time to interact with teachers and other parents, or having time to exercise regularly. But when you finally have this freedom, it can feel awkward. It takes time to adjust to the new lifestyle and shed the societal expectations associated with being a working parent.

Feedback:?

How I missed career planning, assessments, etc. Life is so much easier when you have people telling you what you are doing well, what is not working, and what competencies you need to develop! In my first years as a founder, I missed this guidance. Even if I wouldn’t agree with the results. As a founder, there is no one to tell you if you are doing good or not. Or where you should improve. You can get it from your team, or your co-founders, but there is no senior executive who can tell you how to make it. You need to figure out from the signals, from the market, and the customers. And interpretation may lead to excessive concern or missing something.

Multiple Roles:?

You’ll start interfacing with people you’ve never interfaced with before, like accountants and graphic designers, and solving problems you never knew existed.

The Weight of the Corporate Brand:?

It is very challenging to hire and interface with suppliers without the backing of a well-known corporate brand. I missed so much the power of picking up the phone and asking for something and getting answers in 3 days. A short list of candidates, a proposal for a consulting project, and many others.

Startup Ecosystem:?

Many organizations try to make it work, but there is low coordination, so it’s hard to get somewhere. As an entrepreneur, you’ll spend a lot of time talking to entities, organizations, and funders, but not everyone will be valuable and you may end up feeling a waste of time.

After some months, I realized that I was not prepared for one of the benefits of startup life: the ability to work from anywhere. I was still in the office mindset. You can leave the corporate world, but it does not leave you so soon. It was way before COVID and once I realized it, I could start working 90% remotely.

By that time, 12 years ago, there were very few angel investors. When people described this role to me, I thought, “Where could I find this person?”. It looked like finding one was pure luck. But what I didn’t know was that 6 years later I would become one of these people. And that this movement of leaving corporate to a startup would be only the first step, and crucial to this.

The transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship is a journey filled with unexpected challenges and rewards. It requires a shift in mindset, a willingness to step out of your comfort zone, and the courage to face uncertainty. However, the freedom, creativity, and personal growth that come with it make the journey worthwhile.?

Looking back, I realize that my decision to leave the corporate world was not just a career change, but a life-changing experience that shaped me into who I am today. As an angel investor, I now have the privilege of living entrepreneurship in a different way, and supporting other entrepreneurs on their journey, using the lessons I’ve learned from my own experiences.?

Every journey begins with a single step. So, take that step, embrace the unknown, and let the adventure begin.