Lately, I’ve found myself in conversations (mostly debates) about the pros and cons of working in startups. You know, those small workspaces where “higher-ups” immediately trust you with important tasks? Well, in this blog post, I gather questions from these talks and throw in a bonus section filled with tips if you’re considering joining the fun.

What’s a Startup?

In one of my episodes with Nijat Hasansli, Head of Product at Lindus Health (a clinical trials startup backed by Peter Thiel), I was given the following definition: “There are two ways of defining a startup: (1) a new company, and nowadays, we call all new companies startups, (2) or you’re working on something that’s not the status quo where there’s an opportunity to make an impact.”

I think the notion of impact is key here, where joining a startup means you’re given more chances to make a positive difference (whether it’s on the team, the processes, the revenue, the space you’re in…), especially compared to big corporates.

I worked in both environments for over a year, and I can say that startups provided me with the means and opportunities to take initiatives and measure the impact of my work in real time. The satisfaction I got from this is incomparable.

Why should you consider working in a startup?

I often get the following question: Do you think I am meant to work in the startup environment? One can argue that there is a persona that is more prone to succeed in the startup environment, someone eager to take initiative, who’s risk-seeking, less afraid of failure, and hungry for impact. These traits will definitely play in your favor as you’re navigating a very chaotic and unstructured work environment.

However, I believe there’s room for anyone to grow in startups. At the end of the day, you decide what you make of your experience. Ahmed Ahres, who worked at Revolut and Heron Data, both fast-growing startups, talks about his experience as a huge opportunity to learn and explore different areas by wearing multiple hats: “I learned that I loved product work because I got to do that at Heron. In another company, I would have never seen it because I would have been stuck doing engineering.”

Aren’t you afraid it will go bankrupt?

Yes, startups are a riskier and much more uncertain work environment, but it doesn’t necessarily mean things will go wrong. The financial upside is high, especially if you end up joining a rocket ship. The notion of equity in startups is the most rewarding tangible benefit you get out of your experience, if they win, you also win!

I’d also argue that you’re not safer in the corporate environment. Let me remind you that in 2023, tech companies laid off thousands of employees due to economic slowdown, and restructuring plans:

• Google laid off 12,000 people.

• Meta laid off over 10,000 people.

• Amazon laid off 18,000 people.

Risks are everywhere, and you shouldn’t let this fear of uncertainty stop you from living a unique experience. Reflecting back, I’m glad I rejected an offer from Meta to join a startup.

Where and how to find the right startup for you?

A tip I’ve been sharing lately with friends who were looking to shift from corporates to startups is to focus on VCs’ latest investment rounds. By looking directly at their list of investments, you are putting yourself in a situation where you aim for quality instead of quantity.

How come?

• First, this will filter down the startups that recently got backed by reliable VCs, meaning the chances of things going wrong are lower.

• Second, LinkedIn’s job search functionality is quite limited compared to finding a list of startups you can stalk directly via their website, HR’s email, CEO’s LinkedIn etc.

Here’s a list of VCs I’d recommend you look into (these are mostly London-based, but I’m sure you can find others):

• Notion Capital

• Seedcamp

• Octopus Ventures

• Speedinvest

• Balderton Capital

• Index Ventures

• Atomico

• Felix Capital

• Northzone

• White Star Capital

Follow them on LinkedIn for real-time updates, and / or directly head to their job boards (example of Notion Capital) where you will gain access to startups they invested in who are open to hire. You can filter by role, skills, location, and more.

This is how I got my job at Blink, a B2B SaaS company that was hiring for marketers and sales reps. I had a great learning experience that offered me the chance to expand my product marketing skills before moving to a PLG company, Speckle.

What now?

Don’t be afraid to explore the world of startups. Trust me, you’ll find the experience rewarding from a professional and personal point of view. Also, feel free to reply to this email if you have any questions!