

Ask HN: What do I do next? - confusedtechguy

I need help. I&#x27;m a PM at a somewhat successful mid-size tech company (pre-IPO). I&#x27;ve been here for a couple of years and am vested substantially. Recently, there was a minor re-org which led to some unpleasant dynamics between me and a couple of folks on the team. While the situation has recovered since then, it has left a bad taste in general and things have become too political.<p>It seems like my options are:<p>- Stay in the team and suck it up. This stuff happens and one needs to learn to play the game...<p>- Move to another team within the company. There are options...<p>- Move to a different company altogether (interestingly, at the same time as the crappy situation at work, a large+successful company reached out with an offer)<p>- Start my own company. I&#x27;ve done this before and after a couple of failed attempts I guess I&#x27;ve become a little risk averse. Having said that, I met a former colleague who pitched an idea that was IDENTICAL to what I had been thinking off myself... too tempting to be true...<p>What&#x27;s weird is that all of these options have presented themselves at the same time. I can&#x27;t complain. However, I am confused. How do I think about the pros&#x2F;cons of each of these options? Has anyone been in a similar situation and has advice for me?
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CyberFonic
Two things jump out for me. 1: pre-IPO and 2: "vested substantially".

If I were in a similar position to yourself, I would carefully analyse the
financial pros & cons of staying vs leaving. I see a risk of jumping ship and
ruing the decision down the track.

The pre-IPO state might be triggering increased political activity. The scent
of money does that to people.

If staying is the better option financially, then moving to another team and
learning to play politics better might make your situation easier to handle.

If at all possible, it would be great to find a mentor in a different company
but similar industry. There are so many nuances to situations such as yours
that it is difficult to suggest viable alternatives without hashing out the
many constituent options.

Good Luck!

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confusedtechguy
thanks for this... great advice re: finding a mentor

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masterzoozoo
If you are in a financially constrained situation wait for some more time at
least till the company goes to IPO. This will save you financially and also
will help you in your next venture with more freedom. Since you asked about
joining another company, I have a feel that you need to wait for some more
time till you get the complete hope of starting on your own. Regarding staying
on the same company, talk to an advisor/mentor who knows about the market in
your region. All the best on your next venture!

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saluki
pre-IPO, I would make the best of your current situation, stay in your current
team and play the game like a champ.

I would try to make the best of your current situation/team, you might look
weak switching teams. Don't rock the boat pre-IPO, consider changing teams
down the road.

Stick it out there so you can be around for the IPO (enjoy it/financial gain).

I would wait till you get a windfall from your IPO before you consider
starting your own company.

A mentor is always a good idea to have someone in a similar position to bounce
things off of, make sure it's someone you can trust.

Enjoy the ride.

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dasigner
Do you already own the vested stock or are these options for which you'd need
to wait for the ipo to be able to strike?

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Im_Talking
What does your gut tell you?

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confusedtechguy
moving to another team where i can still have an impact. the company is
positioned well for success... i just have a hard time seeing myself in the
same team...

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devnonymous
Hi, here's how I'd break it down:

Firstly, a job and starting your company are two different things.
Dissatisfaction with you job should not be the primary reason you should
consider for starting up your own company. If you do want to startup your own
company consider the reasons why you are risk averse, is it just fear or
failure or the fear of the consequences of the failure. If you have the
financial appetite to risk a startup and truly believe that you can commit
5-10 years to it (that's how long what most startups take); go for it. Of
course this is an over-simplification because there are a thousand other
things to consider like your former colleague being a co-founder, where and
how you execute etc...

Now secondly, if you decide that starting-up is not for you, here is the
thinking I have developed over time. There are 3 factors:

    
    
      1. Are you happy with your salary ?
      2. Are you happy doing what your work ? As in do you enjoy it ? 
      3. Are you happy working with the people in the company 
      and your colleagues in particular ?
    

In my experience, most people quit jobs when at least 2 of the 3 requirements
are not met. Having all 3 is of course ideal but 2 are required at the
minimum.

So in your specific case, it is obvious requirement #3 is not being met, and
if #1 and/or #2 aren't either, will changing to a different team within the
company enhance requirements #1 & #2 and also possibly #3 ? If not, look for a
job at a different company. If yes, stick around. If however, #1 and #2 are
still being met -- stay with the team.

HTH

