[VaedaStrike]

Having served as an LDS/Mormon missionary in San Jose, and being presently pursuing a path to eventually take my project into the start-up realm it'd be nice to think that it prepared me, at least in some degree for that.

invalidOrTaken's comments on it preparing for corporate life I think depends on how a person approaches it.

I think the biggest thing, and this can inoculate for both corporate or start-up land, is the potential for acclimation to rejection. Getting over rejection (and staying over it) helps you, I believe, in either start-up or corporate environment.

Whether it prepares one for corporate or start-up, I believe, leans heavily on what one sees as progress.

The realization for me that metrics only matter in the aggregate of everyone together and that one's individual quality of performance on a net whole is what mattered for that individual's personal accomplishment is something that's helped me immensely.

I can knock doors 'till the cows come home but if my hearts not in it the meaningful metrics don't come through, but, on the other hand, if there are good metrics it can be an indicator of the intensity one is applying and, in that way, can help one get an external glimpse of commitment.