What it’s like to work at a seed-stage startup

Working at a startup can be challenging, fast-paced, and rewarding. Whether you’re interested in a smaller seed-stage startup or are looking to join a larger growth-stage company in the future, you’ll find many options when searching for jobs in the tech world. Working at a small startup can also have its downsides – with limited resources and exposure, things like career progression and financial stability are not always certain. But for someone who wants to make an impact, working at a smaller company could be much more rewarding than working for Google (and other large companies). Here is what it’s like to work at a seed-stage startup.

The benefits of working at a startup

There are many benefits of working at a startup. For one, you’ll likely get a lot more responsibility and autonomy than you would at a larger company. And if you’re the kind of person who thrives under pressure, a smaller company is likely the place for you. When you join an early-stage company, you’ll be able to have a huge impact; you’ll be able to help shape what the company does, who it serves, and how future employees will be hired. Another huge benefit is that smaller companies don’t have the bureaucracy that larger companies have, so you’ll likely be able to move up more quickly. You’ll be pulled into projects that are “all hands” and will quickly acquire a more diverse skill set when compares to a defined role at a larger company. If you’re looking to learn as much as possible then a seed-stage startup will be perfect for you. If you prefer a laid-out plan with a straightforward approach to solving problems than startup life will be hard.

Morning rituals for seed-stage startups

Some days, things go smoothly at a startup. But other days, you’ll be so busy that it won’t feel like you’re really in an office at all. When that happens, all of the usual advice to arrive at least 30 minutes early before you start your day won’t be enough to make up for lost time. Even on the best days, you’ll probably find yourself answering emails or using a project management tool to track your progress. On the worst days, you may be spending all of your time managing issues with vendors or clients.

Meetings at startups are also far less frequent at small startups when compared to larger companies. You’ll likely have team meetings either one large one per week or smaller daily check-ins. You’ll also have an entire team call once a week for team updates. Outside of that, you might have one-offs, but anything more than these would be centered around projects, that’s it! So if you hate meetings that waste everyone's time, then startup life might be for you!

Things to be aware of when working at a startup

You may not be able to predict the future for yourself or for a company that has yet to prove itself. Even if the company is profitable, your job may not be as secure as it would be at a larger company. If you’re working at a startup that is just getting started, you may want to keep your eyes open for other opportunities in a passive manner.

Another component of startup life to keep in mind is that your contributions are naturally under a spotlight since there are little to no contributions on certain projects other than one person. Your results will be seen by the team, therefore if you’re outperforming the needs it will certainly be noticed (unlike a large company), but if you’re failing in your KPIs then it will also be put under a spotlight unlike being able to fly under the radar at a large company. If you’re ready to work, startups are for you.

Downsides of working at a startup

If you’re not careful, you could find yourself working long hours without the promise of extra compensation. You may be expected to work extra long hours on occasion or during times of high stress. And if you join a startup that is just getting started, you may not have access to certain benefits that you would have if you were working at a larger company. You may not be able to take advantage of certain company perks, like a 401k retirement plan or an employee stock purchase plan.

Another component to keep in mind is growth within the company. Since the company is in it’s earliest days it will likely be immature in its promotional structure. You can crush you projects and not be promoted after a year. You can navigate this by communicating that you’d like to have a more senior position or salary increase, but unfortunately, these jumps in income will likely have to happen via job hopping. Some startups with high growth will promote their companies from the seed stage to Series A and beyond, but for a company that grows slowly will likely not understand how to retain and value its top contributors.

Summing up

For many people, working at a startup is the ideal situation. You can work for a company that is still in its early days but still have the opportunity to make a big impact. And if the startup is successful, you’ll be able to reap the rewards of that success. While working at a startup can offer great opportunities, it’s important to be aware of what those opportunities are and what you’ll need to do in order to take advantage of them. If you’re eager to work in tech but don’t want to work for a larger company, a startup could be the right choice for you.