You Probably Shouldn’t Work at a Startup

This week I am a slug whose body is a fusion of cough drops, tissues, and NyQuil. (i.e. I am very sick). As such, please enjoy a republish of one my spiciest takes.

After this came out, I had a couple of founders message me that startups are different now and are just as safe as big tech companies. This morning I checked in on those people to see how things were going. Their startups no longer exist...you probably shouldn't work at a startup.

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.