[wantreprenr007]

I've worked in startups and large ivy league universities... the latter has more focus on social capital than necessarily delivering value or customer service because there is less survival risk, so the emphasis is on social organizational capital (family-like, countryclub departments) than monetary profit (except for university profit-centers). I've also seen massive corruption, empire building, laughable leadership cognitive dissonance, waste, privacy disasters and embezzlement at one university which shall go nameless.

It's true that the fights can be so brutal because the stakes are often so small.

There are some exceptions where good leadership and teams exist and deliver worthy value without economic or social forces, but these are outliers.

[ianamartin]

Both my parents are professors at a tier one university. My mom has been there for most of her adult life, going on 55+ years. My father has been a professor since just after he got back from WW2. Yes, he's that old. 96, and I'm in my mid 30s. Yay me.

I have seen both of them have to deal with all kinds of insane bullshit. For the sake of the conversation, I must point out that my individual observations and experiences do not in any way constitute something I could call a general idea.

My thoughts about non-profits and academia are limited to my own personal experiences.

There are probably some great academic or non-profit places to work. Not disputing that.

In fact, I'm working for a very healthy one right now in Brooklyn. But you know what the structure of that org is? Total artistic dictatorship.

[twobuy]

That is really interesting to me, what sort of roles did you work in and what was your path? I'm getting into start-ups now as a coder, and while I went to Penn for undergrad, it was liberal arts. I'd love to loop back into academia if possible, and I'm wondering what sort of path you took? Thanks :)