Joining a burgeoning start up results in what is usually a thrilling, wild, and terrifying journey. You never know what to expect, for better or for worse, and are constantly surprised as you walk the less-traveled path. There are a lot of reasons to join a start up, positive or negative. Here are ten happy consequences of joining such a company.
1. You Learn
When you’re building something from the ground up every moment that you’re constructing it is a huge learning experience. With a start up there’s no playbook yet; you and your team write the book yourselves with the lessons you learn together. At a regular job you might learn company policies and standard procedure. At a start up there is no standard procedure, so you learn in extremely informative but completely unexpected ways.
2. You Work Hard
You had a lot of time to party in college; now it’s time to get to work. You’ll feel good about putting a lot of effort into something that you’re passionate about. To keep yourself motivated you should remember how that hard work could potentially pay off huge down the line.
3. You Work How You Want To
An established company has a routine. Your employers will expect things done in a certain way, at a certain time, and in a certain order. At a start up there are less of those regulations. Your team doesn’t always care how you complete their tasks; they’re happy as long as they’re getting good work done.
4. You Have an Awesome Workplace
We’ve all seen photos of start ups that show an office that you actually want to go to every day. Think about how great working in a Google-like environment would be for your spirits and your productivity.
5. You Get Inspired
True inspiration is rare if you’re doing the kind of work that many have done before. At a start up you’re treading completely new ground, so you have many more opportunities to get the kind of inspiration that can change everything.
6. You Matter
When you’re a cog in a machine you feel like you’re not worth much. At a start up you’re worth everything to your team. As a part of a small group your contributions are that much more significant. You are truly impacting the success of the company instead of just pushing paper around.
7. You Might Profit
The founders of successful start ups are the ones going from rags to riches, reaping in millions or even billions of dollars. Even if you’re not the founder, your reward can be massive. A percentage of a driven, inspired company can be worth a whole lot in the years to come. Ask early employees of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
8. You Might Succeed
True success isn’t measured by dollar amount. Succeeding at a start up means you’ve really built something great that you’re proud of. If you find meaning in the work you do you have found some kind of success. That is so much more possible at a new business than an established one.
9. You Might Fail
A lot of start ups wither away, it’s true, but those kinds of failure can be life-changing experiences. Your successes teach you a little, but the times you fail are when you learn the most.
10. You Grow
At the end of the day, aren’t we all looking to be a better version of ourselves? Time at a start up gives you the maximum opportunity to change and grow along with your company. The independence involved in working for a start up is an opportunity to throw yourself into the deep end and really test yourself. If you join a start up, whether it be a major success or massive failure, you will get to see what you’re really made of.
Featured photo credit: Philippe Lewicki via flickr.com
