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A comment on Why Engineers Are Better Off Joining Startups. Parent comment

Re:Why Engineers Are Better Off Joining Startups by gasull on Sunday February 13, 2011 @01:15PM (#2213344)
It is also possible and very common to be self-exploited, overworked and underpaid at your own startup. And depending on the exit of your startup vs the exit of someone else's startup, and the % you get from the total of outstanding shares in both cases, you might be better off joining a startup than working on your own.

And as the article points out it's getting less risky working for a startup, while working on your own you might need to spend your savings on it.

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Re:Why Engineers Are Better Off Joining Startups by toxicflavor on Sunday February 13, 2011 @01:25PM (#2213375)
There's something about the feeling of self-determination - directing your own fate - that makes the hard work of your own startup more tolerable, even if, from a mathematical standpoint, you would profit more from working for someone else.

And, sure, it might be getting less risky to work for (someone else's) startup. But I don't think the culture of the startup work environment has changed much recently with respect to the unfettered expectations of your work output and willingness to self-sacrifice for the "larger cause" - regardless of how counter-productive that self-sacrifice may actually be.

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Re:Why Engineers Are Better Off Joining Startups by gasull on Sunday February 13, 2011 @01:31PM (#2213394)
I agree, but working for the startup of someone else you might learn from an awesome team that will prepare you for one day having your own startup. This was the advice of D'Angelo, from Quora, at the last Startup School.

I think it all depends on how prepared you are. If you think you have already learned enough, then go for it.

So, good luck with your startup! :)

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Re:Why Engineers Are Better Off Joining Startups by toxicflavor on Sunday February 13, 2011 @01:42PM (#2213427)
I guess it depends where you are in life and how valuable a potential learning experience with a good team might be for you.

My feeling is there is no greater motivator for learning than when the problems you face may have a direct bearing on your own financial well-being and the life or death of your own startup.

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