TL;DR

• This article is for someone trying to decide whether to work at an early-stage, venture-backed startup.
• There is a romantic vision of startup employment that doesn’t hold up under close scrutiny. 
• Business model risk is extreme and the financial opportunity cost is significant.
• Typically we assume that a startup is a better overall employment experience, this probably isn’t true for most people
• There are some circumstances where working at a startup makes sense! But it is important to go in with open eyes.