
Ask HN: Is getting a job before doing a startup worth it? - maxsavin
Hey folks!<p>I&#x27;ve been trying to start-up for the past 5 years or so (officially launched something at 20, currently 25). I&#x27;ve been coding since my teenage years, and have produced a few companies with revenue or promising contracts, but for one reason or another things didn&#x27;t stack the way I&#x27;d hope.<p>As far as I go: I started off as a UI designer, moved into HTML&#x2F;CSS for a number of years, and then jumped on the JavaScript bandwagon to cover the full stack. I&#x27;m currently operating a &quot;lifestyle&quot; business and took a venture into the social space while living abroad to avoid the insane New York costs.<p>One thing I&#x27;m hearing everywhere is the benefit of joining a company and putting in a few years of work before doing a start-up. I&#x27;m hearing founders say they wish they had done it, but we&#x27;ve all also seen successes who skipped that.<p>It sounds like there could be nice things about it (work with smart colleagues, get a steady paycheck, etc) but at the same time, it could carry a big opportunity cost and mold you in a way you mat not not want to be molded.<p>What I&#x27;m trying to decipher is, what is this benefit of learning at a company? Could you share your experience of doing or not doing that?
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onion2k
Successful startups solve real problems. If you never have a job you won't see
any problems apart from the ones that affect you directly as a consumer, or
later as a business owner. For example, there are a handful of startups in the
container shipping industry at the moment that are _really_ disrupting that
space. Could anyone who hadn't worked in that industry first have identified
the problems and seen the potential to solve them? No. You need experience of
the industry to see what's wrong with it.

Having a job before doing a startup isn't about learning some skills that
apply universally. It's more specific than that. To that end, if you have
ideas for more consumer oriented businesses that you can build without
industry knowledge, there's no need to get a job first.

One small caveat: having a job and being an employee means you'll understand
what your own employees feel if your business grows to the point of having
any. That would be useful.

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greenyoda
These are all very good points.

 _" having a job and being an employee means you'll understand what your own
employees feel if your business grows to the point of having any"_

It's more than just knowing how employees feel, it's knowing what employees do
(e.g., what's the role of a CTO, a product manager, a marketing person, etc.?)
and how to manage them. If you've never been an employee or a manager, how
likely is it that you'll be a competent CEO who can hire effective employees
and managers? If a company ever becomes successful, it won't be just a couple
of programmers in a room anymore.

I'd also add that the more experience you've had in the business world before
starting a business (and the more you've seen of life in general), the more
likely it is that you'll be able to recognize bullshit - it will be harder for
potential co-founders or investors to take advantage of you.

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petepark
If it's a really complex industry (especially ones that have a lot of
regulation, such as energy or healthcare) I think it's a good idea to work in
the industry for a little while - just enough to understand what the different
areas are you need to know about. It'll probably be a faster learning curve to
spend 1-3 years as an insider than wandering in the wilderness there.

If it's more consumer, or you have a clear way to build revenue early, just go
for it.

Either way, I think being in a big company (or more established startup) to
learn culture, work with smart colleagues, etc. is definitely a nice-to-have,
but not a must. You can pick that up on your own as you build your own
startup. Good luck!

