

Should You Join a Startup? The Answer Is Increasingly Yes - Kavan
http://www.arcticstartup.com/2011/09/05/should-you-join-a-startup-the-answer-is-increasingly-yes

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amirmc
While I like the article, a couple of things stood out for me.

 _"…the investors are likely to want to pull you to another rocketing
startup."_

I think this is only true if you actually get to interact with the investors
and information is shared. If not, there's no reason the investors know you
apart from anyone else.

 _"Oh, and you might also get rich while at it by being one of the early
employees with options to show for it. But consider that only as an extra
gravy on top."_

This has been discussed a lot recently and folks should also read the related
HN threads. IMHO startups should not really be saying this kind of stuff. It's
a little disingenuous. Previous HN thread
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2958766>

------
varunsrin
_"There's really a myriad of reasons, but the unintuitive answer to the '
which one is more secure job' question is increasingly the startup."_

It's just plain wrong to be saying things like this - working at a startup is
fun, exciting & you learn a ton - but don't encourage people to ignore the
risks they take.

If you join an early startup there is always a risk - I had a friend who
signed on as a 5th employee, found an apartment in California (he was from the
east coast) and made a down payment on it - after which they told him the
company was going to shut down and cancelled his offer without so much as
covering his down payment.

There are very real risks that you take on joining an early stage company
(which is where you learn the most) - so please, don't ignore the risks. Don't
bet everything on success - start ups fail, and fail often. Make sure you can
afford to lose, if the risk you take doesn't pan out.

 _"The investors are likely to want to pull you to another rocketing
startup."_

Don't blindly bet on the investors pulling you into another startup - if it
happens, you're a lucky individual, but more often than not, you'll be on your
own.

EDIT: typos

~~~
Kavan
Totally agree. Startups are bets. You may win or you may lose.

I think the point is that the upside is huge, although unlikely. While
failure, the more likely path, still means you learn a lot and make a lot of
great contacts that can help you with the next venture.

IMHO, as long as you don't bet too big (if you lose your job for a month you
lose your house), the risk is well worth it.

------
politician
Based on my HNducation, I'd say this one is a bit too pollyannaish (as in,
"even if we fail, it'll be grrrreat!").

