| a good idea keeps me from starting my next startup right now. i've said this many times before here, but one of the biggest things that prevent people from starting a startup is the instability of the startup. the family man or person with larger financial responsibilities will usually need the steady paycheck. some of the pro-big-company arguments that you make are off the mark. make more money? yes, in the short term. with the risk of a startup, there's potential for great reward, especially if the company gets acquired. ownership/equity? those are nice, but you typically get more with a startup. responsibility? career path? sure, you get some control, but not nearly as much as you will in a startup with a small team. you get to do so much more when working on a startup. influence? again, so few people, your voice counts way more, especially if you're an expert at something. company benefits/culture? they don't even compare. a company can pay for lunch, great, but that doesn't mean that they understand what the people want (my company is a good example of that). "paid vaccations"? typical startups don't track hours and you take off the time that you need when you need it. just get your work done. |