Ask HN: Is getting a job before doing a startup worth it? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Is getting a job before doing a startup worth it?

4 pointsmaxsavin3 comments

Hey folks!

I've been trying to start-up for the past 5 years or so (officially launched something at 20, currently 25). I've been coding since my teenage years, and have produced a few companies with revenue or promising contracts, but for one reason or another things didn't stack the way I'd hope.

As far as I go: I started off as a UI designer, moved into HTML/CSS for a number of years, and then jumped on the JavaScript bandwagon to cover the full stack. I'm currently operating a "lifestyle" business and took a venture into the social space while living abroad to avoid the insane New York costs.

One thing I'm hearing everywhere is the benefit of joining a company and putting in a few years of work before doing a start-up. I'm hearing founders say they wish they had done it, but we've all also seen successes who skipped that.

It sounds like there could be nice things about it (work with smart colleagues, get a steady paycheck, etc) but at the same time, it could carry a big opportunity cost and mold you in a way you mat not not want to be molded.

What I'm trying to decipher is, what is this benefit of learning at a company? Could you share your experience of doing or not doing that?

Successful startups solve real problems. If you never have a job you won't see any problems apart from the ones that affect you directly as a consumer, or later as a business owner. For example, there are a handful of startups in the container shipping industry at the moment that are really disrupting that space. Could anyone who hadn't worked in that industry first have identified the problems and seen the potential to solve them? No. You need experience of the industry to see what's wrong with it.

Having a job before doing a startup isn't about learning some skills that apply universally. It's more specific than that. To that end, if you have ideas for more consumer oriented businesses that you can build without industry knowledge, there's no need to get a job first.

One small caveat: having a job and being an employee means you'll understand what your own employees feel if your business grows to the point of having any. That would be useful.

These are all very good points.

"having a job and being an employee means you'll understand what your own employees feel if your business grows to the point of having any"

It's more than just knowing how employees feel, it's knowing what employees do (e.g., what's the role of a CTO, a product manager, a marketing person, etc.?) and how to manage them. If you've never been an employee or a manager, how likely is it that you'll be a competent CEO who can hire effective employees and managers? If a company ever becomes successful, it won't be just a couple of programmers in a room anymore.

I'd also add that the more experience you've had in the business world before starting a business (and the more you've seen of life in general), the more likely it is that you'll be able to recognize bullshit - it will be harder for potential co-founders or investors to take advantage of you.

If it's a really complex industry (especially ones that have a lot of regulation, such as energy or healthcare) I think it's a good idea to work in the industry for a little while - just enough to understand what the different areas are you need to know about. It'll probably be a faster learning curve to spend 1-3 years as an insider than wandering in the wilderness there.

If it's more consumer, or you have a clear way to build revenue early, just go for it.

Either way, I think being in a big company (or more established startup) to learn culture, work with smart colleagues, etc. is definitely a nice-to-have, but not a must. You can pick that up on your own as you build your own startup. Good luck!

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