
Ask HN: Work in my invested startup or finish University? - messmil
I am 23 yo, live in Brazil, I&#x27;m the tech co-founder of a $5M valuation startup, and I do not know if I leave my CS Degree, girlfriend, and country to continue developing my business. Probably anyone in the world knowing just that would say to me to go on into this.<p>However, the story is not so simple. Resuming it, everything started with my partner. He is the CEO of the company and is working on that for 3 years now. I started to work with him as a freelancer, but at the same time, when he was applying for accelerators in SV I was the CTO. After a while, we were accepted by one of those and I went to California, owning 10% of the company.<p>There I developed the product during 6 months, finally releasing that 4 months ago. The release was great, despite that, coding was basically everything that I was doing at the time, and was pretty concerned about my education and missing my family and friends. So I decided to come back. Since then, the app is exactly the same, with the same bugs, but is the biggest app in the sector, with that my partner was able to raise $400k in a $5M valuation. And now he is asking me to go back resume my work.<p>If I go I will not finish my University possibly losing a Doctorate opportunity that I&#x27;m working on, my GF will hate me and I will be leaving everything I have, to pursue that dream. Everyone that I ask about it does not give any insightful feedback, so I humbly come here to know your opinions.<p>edit: Line breaks.
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gus_massa
What do you have in written? Will you get more equity if you go?

Will you get a market rate salary?

Can you work remote? (A full time job and a doctorate is too much, so both is
not a good option. But at least you can keep the family and GF. Is it possible
to relocate your GF?)

When did you start the doctorate? How many years do you need to complete it?
Do you have a grant or something?

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messmil
> What do you have in written? Will you get more equity if you go?

The incorporation has vesting options, requiring me to work for 3 more years
to acquire the 10%.

>Will you get a market rate salary?

Probably I would have a salary bellow US market rate, but higher than the
Brazilian one. That would be the same for my partner seeing that we are at a
pre-seed stage.

>Can you work remote?

This is not an option for my partner.

> When did you start the doctorate? How many years do you need to complete it?
> Do you have a grant or something?

There is no guarantee, I am working with a Professor from my University in a
project with prospects to became a doctorate theme

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Powerofmene
This is a personal decision but I can say this about your doctorate,
universities are not going anywhere. If having a doctorate is important to
you, you can do it now or you can do it later. I was just over 40 when I
started mine and 43 when I completed my studies and defended my dissertation.
If you want it bad enough you will do it.

The girlfriend and missing your family is another matter altogether.

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dcow
Not sure anyone can answer this for you, but something to keep in mind: talent
is always replaceable and you don't lose ownership in the company if you stay.

