On startup culture

My friend sent me a post by a guy who works at a semi-local startup. In it, he talks about how tough but rewarding it is to be a part of a demanding, fast-moving, chaotic startup.

He confirms what many in the tech community here have assumed for years: that the people who work there get paid less to do more in a stress-filled environment with constantly changing priorities and directives from management.

The one thing I can appreciate about this post is that the guy was as open as I've ever heard someone in his position describe the working conditions at a startup. In my experience, founders and CEOs use smoke and mirrors to soften how terrible it is to work from them, saying, "We work hard and play hard" (you'll be putting in 12-hour days) or something equally offensive when asked about work-life balance.

If you're new to the tech job market and wonder if this is just how things are, it's not. Know that there are other jobs out there that don't do this. Companies that acknowledge you as a person and treat you with respect, don't abuse your time or your mental health, and pay you what you're worth are harder to find, but they do exist.

When you work for a company like the guy above, you build someone else's rocket ship. Their ultimate success will not translate to similar success for you, no matter how they're packaging it.

You're thinking, "Wait, but I get ESOP!" In my experience at several startups offering it, it's a scam. The people running these companies are driving the car. If they decide to pivot or reprioritize and take the company off a cliff, they're taking your ESOP with them.

Don't work for places like the one mentioned off the top. Companies like that take so much from you and give back so little. They often portray it as if you're not working hard when you're not overworking, but that is far from the truth.

You're better than that; you're better than them.