[sobes]

Congrats! Though I'm curious to know what you mean by "real" startup. What's a fake one?

One of the most important questions to ask is how they're funded. Most startups fail, and funding is the most accurate proxy for stability. At the very least you'll know if it'll be around long enough for you to learn something while working there.

Also, if you're getting stock options, I suggest you read this article (tells you what questions to ask so that you understand what they're worth):

http://blog.alexmaccaw.com/an-engineers-guide-to-stock-optio...

[hacknat]

I joined a mid-size company while they were still calling themselves a "start-up". There was a little bit of risk in joining, but not much. We are definitely not a start-up now.

The funding question is good, but, fortunately, they're funding is well publicized, so I don't really need to ask.

Also the options question is good, I'll make sure to look that over. I have some experience with options with my current company, but I'm going into this next position with more leverage, so I should probably ask the right sorts of questions, etc.

Thanks again!

[sobes]

It seems a lot of mid-sized companies like to call themselves "startups" because of the hip factor. Even though they fail to fit into the definition. Incidentally, here's a good Quora discussion on the definition: https://www.quora.com/Entrepreneurship/What-is-the-proper-de....

Anyways, I'm happy to have shared something helpful. Good luck!