[badclient]

Go for post Series-A. VCs have already done the vetting for you.

Seems like you thought the same about YC: that they'd do the vetting for you. And yet you're set on making the same mistake again by relying on someone else to do the vetting.

Almost every start-up is a huge gamble. Naturally, the later stage you join it, the lower the general risk. In that case, why stop at Series A? If risk is all you care about(and it sure sounds like it from your post), why not just join profitable companies that are no longer startups? Much lower risk, promise.

[jmduke]

why not just join profitable companies that are no longer startups?

This is important, as people seem to forget that startup is a subset of small business and not vice versa. There are a lot of incredibly profitable businesses with head counts less than two dozen that don't optimize for growth. These are generally companies that have been around for longer than the majority of startups, which means you sacrifice youth for maturity.

(A lot of them aren't in Silicon Valley.)

[pchristensen]

Although companies that aren't growing fast aren't hiring much, so those opportunities are harder to find.

[hayksaakian]

Hit the nail on the head

A big way those companies stay profitable is by NOT hiring people.

[count]

Depends on the company? We hire tens of thousands of people a year, and are ridiculously profitable.

[GregorStocks]

Companies which hire tens of thousands of people a year do not, in general, have less than two dozen employees.

[liquidise]

> If risk is all you care about(and it sure sounds like it from your post)

I did not make the same observation at all. I left my last job largely due to founders ignoring the facts (revenue trends, employee turnover, etc) in favor of pursuing a vision that was clearly debunked. It is enormously frustrating being in a position where you thought a company hired you for your overall knowledge, but all they choose to exercise is your ability to write code.

A well written article with an appropriate disclaimer. I say props for calling attention to situations other could easily find themselves in.

[slykat]

I think the main point is you should never ever let someone do the vetting for you.

I don't care if the company is two guys in a garage or has thousands of employees and is on every single list of "Best Companies to Work for". You should diligence the hell out of any opportunity: meet as many people on the team as you can, get external references, do online research on role, ask for key numbers, and even ask fired employees for their opinion on the company.

If you come from a top tier tech company and you are skilled, you can afford to say no to any startup as supply & demand is completely in your favor. I'd also vehemently disagree with the post Series-A remark; there are many companies with these exact same issues at Series A.

I think the key point is always vet the company. Always.