[barclay]

> You join a startup because of the many other benefits it provides

This. So much this. The exit is the lottery ticket. It'll likely fail.

But the real lure is getting to wear a ton of hats and fly by the seat of your pants. Any engineer in a < 20 person eng team is going to have a ton of exposure to how the business works, to making real-time decisions, and just generally being impactful. _THAT's_ why you go.

(And, that said, it's definitely not for everyone)

[dpeck]

If you value having exposure to how business works, making real-time decisions, and being impactful at > $100k a year you’re a much better employee/coworker than I’ve ever been.

The reality of the situations is working at a startup is a great opportunity to prove oneself and have stories to tell when it comes time for interviews (or drinks with colleagues).

For most employees it gives those of us without the “perfect” education/gpa/etc an opportunity to work ourselves into positions to be making significant income at larger companies either through exit, acquisition or being hired somewhere else.