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Top 10 Reasons to Join a Startup

Joining a startup company is a no-brainer. The pros far outweigh the cons. Whether you’re just graduating, or you’ve done your time “working for the man” now is the perfect time to make the jump.

Go work for a startup company.

Here are 10 reasons why:

  1. More influence. With a smaller team, each person at a startup has more say. You should have more opportunity to voice your opinion and influence key decisions. And you want that, right?
  2. More ownership. You might not be the founder, but you’re darn close. You should have some equity (or stock options.) Both a sense of ownership, and actual ownership are wonderful things; they’ll give you one more reason to work better and harder.
  3. More meaning. The best startups are built on top of a strong purpose and vision; a raison d’etre that truly resonates. It’s a startup’s rallying cry and it provides other likeminded people with true meaning in their work.
  4. More comraderie. Startup teams have to gel beautifully to succeed. Doesn’t mean you’ll always get along, but a little Saving Private Ryan never hurt anyone.
  5. More diversity. There shouldn’t be much pigeonholing at a startup; you’re going to do and see a lot of different things. You will be thrown out of your comfort zone. You will get a chance to expand your horizons.
  6. More learning. Startup environments are crash courses in business and life. You’ll learn more in 6 months at a startup than you will in 4 years at university.
  7. More connectivity. With less (or zero) levels of bureaucracy, everyone is closer to one another. You should be well connected to your CEO as well as the network of customers, vendors, VCs, friends, etc. that surround the startup.
  8. More emotion. Working at a startup isn’t a constant high. Far from it. But it is intense, and the emotional charge you’ll get on a regular basis is a worthwhile learning experience.
  9. More future success. I don’t have any statistics to prove this, but I bet you that startup employees go on to bigger and better things. Whether it’s higher paying / more interesting jobs or starting their own companies, your resume and personal story benefit considerably from living the startup experience.
  10. More fun. Startup employees have more fun. It’s just the way it is…

The job market for startup and early-stage companies is very strong. There’s no shortage of opportunity. Top talent can pick and choose amongst a slew of startups eager to hire. The risk is low.

Granted, not all startups are created equally. Not all startups may give you the benefits described above. You can’t dive in eyes closed and expect to find the perfect fit. Make sure you ask the right questions before joining a startup. Plenty of smart people have suggestions on the questions you should ask before joining a startup, so you shouldn’t have a problem being prepared.

But make the leap. Join a startup. It’s worth it.

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May 23, 2007 Posted in Startups by

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  • http://silicontryst.wordpress.com Piyush Gupta

    My 2-cent scientific approach to join a startup at an early stage.
    http://www.slideshare.net/pgworld/why-should-you-join-an-early-stage-startup

  • http://silicontryst.wordpress.com Piyush Gupta

    My 2-cent scientific approach to join a startup at an early stage.
    http://www.slideshare.net/pgworld/why-should-you-join-an-early-stage-startup

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com Ben Yoskovitz

    @Piyush: Thanks for sharing … I’ll have to check it out!

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com Ben Yoskovitz

    @Piyush: Thanks for sharing … I’ll have to check it out!

  • http://www.goodcasinobonus.com Tim

    It depends imo. Some startup companies do not provide any career growth or training so you may end up in a stressful environment learning things on your own. The first startup company I joined was just a big dead end and the business itself was struggling to maintain some sort of balance. In the end, the stress just wasn’t worth it for me to stay

  • http://www.goodcasinobonus.com Tim

    It depends imo. Some startup companies do not provide any career growth or training so you may end up in a stressful environment learning things on your own. The first startup company I joined was just a big dead end and the business itself was struggling to maintain some sort of balance. In the end, the stress just wasn’t worth it for me to stay

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com Ben Yoskovitz

    @Tim: I’m with you. But you can find that stress in any job, startup or otherwise … so I don’t think stress is unique to startups. It can be more acute when things get into crunch modes though, but big companies have plenty of their own issues that typically don’t exist in startups.

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com Ben Yoskovitz

    @Tim: I’m with you. But you can find that stress in any job, startup or otherwise … so I don’t think stress is unique to startups. It can be more acute when things get into crunch modes though, but big companies have plenty of their own issues that typically don’t exist in startups.

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  • http://www.webmastercritic.com Matthew Hui

    Great post. Influence is one of the most important ones. You need to join a startup if you want to have some kind of influence with the business

  • http://www.webmastercritic.com Matthew Hui

    Great post. Influence is one of the most important ones. You need to join a startup if you want to have some kind of influence with the business

  • http://www.webmastercritic.com Matthew Hui

    Great post. Influence is one of the most important ones. You need to join a startup if you want to have some kind of influence with the business

  • http://www.webmastercritic.com Matthew Hui

    Great post. Influence is one of the most important ones. You need to join a startup if you want to have some kind of influence with the business

  • http://www.webmastercritic.com Matthew Hui

    Great post. Influence is one of the most important ones. You need to join a startup if you want to have some kind of influence with the business

  • http://www.webmastercritic.com Matthew Hui

    Great post. Influence is one of the most important ones. You need to join a startup if you want to have some kind of influence with the business

  • http://www.couponcodesbox.com Coupon Codes Box

    Great post. You discuss some very important reasons of why a start up is better than a preexisting business

  • http://www.frizle.com music videos

    Great blog i give it an a+

  • http://www.donanimoyun.com/ Oyun indir

    I think they offer good opportunities, but you must make sure to do a little homework and join the right one(s) as Marc Chriqui noted.

  • http://www.donanimoyun.com/ Oyun indir

    I think they offer good opportunities, but you must make sure to do a little homework and join the right one(s) as Marc Chriqui noted.

  • http://www.donanimoyun.com/ Oyun indir

    I think they offer good opportunities, but you must make sure to do a little homework and join the right one(s) as Marc Chriqui noted.

  • http://www.donanimoyun.com/ Oyun indir

    I think they offer good opportunities, but you must make sure to do a little homework and join the right one(s) as Marc Chriqui noted.

  • http://www.donanimoyun.com/ Oyun indir

    I think they offer good opportunities, but you must make sure to do a little homework and join the right one(s) as Marc Chriqui noted.

  • http://www.donanimoyun.com/ Oyun indir

    I think they offer good opportunities, but you must make sure to do a little homework and join the right one(s) as Marc Chriqui noted.

  • http://www.gadgets-club.com Dan

    Startups can be very profitable also. It is easier for a small company to have a fast grow.

  • http://www.gadgets-club.com Dan

    Startups can be very profitable also. It is easier for a small company to have a fast grow.

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  • http://www.newfoundlandbusinesses.ca Newfoundland Business Startup

    Startups are a gamble for employees. Long hours, sometimes no pay or limited pay until financing comes in. They do however, offer great rewards if you succeed.

  • http://www.vaginoplastyprocedure.com/ vaginoplasty

    I like startup more and more each day because it makes my life a lot easier. Please feel free to include this on your website. As part of my ongoing mission to find the absolute best tools to make money, this is without a doubt at the top of my list.

  • http://askdoctor.us/ Ask A Doctor

    i agree with these points.its true…especially 'start ups employees have more fun'.

  • Larry

    Thanks Ben. This is great. How would you find a list or directory of startups in the social media space/performance based marketing in NYC?

  • Larry

    Thanks Ben. This is great. How would you find a list or directory of startups in the social media space/performance based marketing in NYC?

  • Larry

    Thanks Ben. This is great. How would you find a list or directory of startups in the social media space/performance based marketing in NYC?

  • Larry

    Thanks Ben. This is great. How would you find a list or directory of startups in the social media space/performance based marketing in NYC?

  • http://www.doylesroom.com/ Poker

    the start up company can be a good platform for learning and can give a big career to the employees with the company or with a competetor of the company.

  • http://www.doylesroom.com/ Poker

    the start up company can be a good platform for learning and can give a big career to the employees with the company or with a competetor of the company.

  • http://www.doylesroom.com/ Poker

    the start up company can be a good platform for learning and can give a big career to the employees with the company or with a competetor of the company.

  • http://www.doylesroom.com/ Poker

    the start up company can be a good platform for learning and can give a big career to the employees with the company or with a competetor of the company.

  • http://twitter.com/sghouti Summer Ghouti

    Top 10 Reasons to Join a Startup

  • bookdrives

    This is a great list. I completely agree that you will get to see many more faces of business in a start-up. You get exposed to so many new skills and concepts in business and is a great place to get experience if you are waiting to get into MBA school.

  • bookdrives

    This is a great list. I completely agree that you will get to see many more faces of business in a start-up. You get exposed to so many new skills and concepts in business and is a great place to get experience if you are waiting to get into MBA school.

  • bookdrives

    This is a great list. I completely agree that you will get to see many more faces of business in a start-up. You get exposed to so many new skills and concepts in business and is a great place to get experience if you are waiting to get into MBA school.

  • bookdrives

    This is a great list. I completely agree that you will get to see many more faces of business in a start-up. You get exposed to so many new skills and concepts in business and is a great place to get experience if you are waiting to get into MBA school.

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About Ben Yoskovitz
I recently joined GoInstant as VP Product. GoInstant changes how we use the web, making it shareable like never before.

I'm also a Founding Partner at Year One Labs, an early stage accelerator in Montreal. Previously I founded Standout Jobs (and sold it). I'm a hands-on startup guy, helping companies grow successfully from the idea forward. You can reach me at byosko at gmail dot com.

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