Why Join a Startup?
Around 660,000 startups were founded last year in the UK alone, but why should you join one?
Over the last 21 months, I’ve had the pleasure of supporting some of the most innovative startups in London but have also been a part of my own startup journey with Alinea. In June 2018, I had to ask myself the very question I want to help you answer — ‘Why join a startup? — and have been helping other people answer ever since.
Like many decisions, there are both pros & cons of joining a startup, and it’s definitely not for everyone. Before making any career decision, you need to have a fairly good idea of which direction to steer your career, and once you’ve answered this, the decision should be fairly easy for you. But before you decide, I wanted to share a few awesome things about joining a startup that I think you should consider:
1) Exposure to the commercial side of a business
When there’s only 6 of you, your ‘job’ will definitely not be your only job! Where you’re in a world where the Founder is doing the job of about 10 people, it’s not too unlikely that you’ll pick up a few extra responsibilities — and this is a good thing! Having exposure to operational, people or finance tasks can slingshot your career into a leadership position much quicker, as having exposure to the commercial side of a business is a massive plus for employers.
Whilst doing the Alinea Meets series, one of the greatest things I’ve learnt interviewing data science leaders is that a lot of them got exposure to the commercial part of a startup early on in their career. This gave them a real understanding of doing impactful data science — which ultimately led them to where they are now.
2) Career Progression
Even without commercial experience, there’s plenty of other reasons why working at a startup can benefit your career progression. Your work at a startup can be massively impactful to the success of the business, which speaks volumes in a job interview because of all of the responsibility it offers. You’ll also have the opportunity to make quick progress internally and have the potential to achieve senior positions at a faster rate than larger businesses — the path to a Head of position is a lot clearer when you’re under 20 people!
You’ll also get exposure to people you may not have normally met whilst at a larger business; Founders, VC’s, Investors or Advisors. These may offer you some pretty incredible job prospects. Sometimes, it really is about who you know.
3) Personal Development
Being a part of a startup isn’t always easy. There’s constant change, high pressure, long hours and a lot of ‘ask questions later’, but this is all part of the journey — and is one of my favourite parts! You’ll learn an incredible amount of new skills that will benefit your everyday life too. Opportunities such as mentoring new starters or being part of a new business or investor pitch are some priceless talents you’ll pick up.
4) Stock Options
Although maybe an obvious one, I wanted to mention it. One of the biggest reasons you should join a startup is that the long hours, late-nights and energy you put in is rewarded by having a share in the business. When the business either successfully sells or is taken public, you’ll be able to reap the rewards of your efforts. But remember, before joining, make sure they have a good exit strategy. Stock options in a startup that’s happy floating won’t give you much in return.
5) Being part of a journey
Finally, you’re going to be part of one hell of a journey. Working in a startup can be difficult at times, but it’s incredibly rewarding. You’ll meet some amazing people and be able to watch a company grow, all the while knowing that your work has been a massive part of that success. You’ll see the business develop/change which will give you some of the biggest lessons you’ll learn in your career.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, Apple
