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Comment by rmorrison | Hacker News Reader

This post is missing the most valuable part of working at a startup: the experience.

Sure, you can go work at ________ (big company paying fresh developers $120k+), but you're going to be pigeonholed into working on a small aspect of the product/company.

If you join a promising small startup, you're going to learn about all aspects of business, startups, selling, marketing, fundraising, etc. These skills will be extremely helpful to you throughout the rest of your career, especially if you plan to start your own company someday.

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Why pay for this experience, when you can get the same, with much better financial situation, by actually starting a company?

If you can start one then great, but it's difficult to get your own startup to the point where it is paying you and your cofounder's living expenses.

Most likely, starting your own company consists of working a full time job and half-assing a startup on the side. A much better first step is to immerse yourself in an existing startup, plus you'll have the added bonus of a large financial upside.

Besides the financial risks of starting a company, it's extremely helpful to learn from existing entrepreneurs, which you also get working at a startup.

Why work full time for startup for $50k when you can work half time for established company for the same salary and more benefits, and have more time to build your startup at the same time? If you're able to live off $50k/year, why not work for established company full time for one year for $100k, spending $50k and still having $50k to cover full year of searching for customers and investors?

1) You need a cofounder, for all practical purposes. So that costs more.

2) It'll probably take you longer than 1 year to make $50k/year/cofounder, so in your scenario you run the risk of running out of money after the second year.

3) In your scenario you have to wait a year to start. Plus, you run the risk of getting trapped in the job. Life happens, who knows what your circumstances will be like in a year or two.

And most importantly of all:

4) You'll be 100x better prepared after working at a real startup for a few years. All of the books and blogs are no replacement for real startup experience.

1) You need a cofounder, for all practical purposes. So that costs more.

2) It'll probably take you longer than 1 year to make $50k/year/cofounder, so in your scenario you run the risk of running out of money after the second year.

Are you suggesting that I am supposed to pay cofounder's living expenses?

3) In your scenario you have to wait a year to start. Plus, you run the risk of getting trapped in the job. Life happens, who knows what your circumstances will be like in a year or two.

So I will not have to wait to start when I work for a startup?

4) You'll be 100x better prepared after working at a real startup for a few years. All of the books and blogs are no replacement for real startup experience.

Why are you still suggesting, that by working for a startup you will learn more about them, than by actually creating one?

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