“There is no security. One day you start a project, and the very next day, you might have to shut the entire company down.”
“It is very hard to break people’s perceptions about things. And, if people don’t like what you’re selling to them, they will not buy it.”There are a variety of startups running in various industries in the country. But, the views above are some common hardships faced by everyone who works in a startup. But, isn’t it true of all companies? There many well-established companies, still working on the profit-sharing basis, that face issues in shelling out salaries time-to-time. Talk about any actor or performer, for as long as the entertainment industry has been in business, there still is no guarantee of work for the next day. Think about the FNCG products; no matter what recipe you come up with, if the consumers don’t like the product, the companies do face huge product-related losses.
What I am trying to say is that if your reason to not work in a startup is any one of the above then maybe you should consider not working at all because these are part and parcel of any job, anywhere in the world. However, if you wish to know some really good reasons to work in a startup, here’s a few:
1. You have ultimate freedom of speech
In a startup, everyone is willing to hear you out. Since usually, there isn’t a separate HR department in a startup, everyone you work with becomes your team, your friends, and they are always willing to listen to you and learn from you. If something bothers you, you can come forward with it and more often than not, it is accepted in the right spirit because everyone working in a startup is there to learn and grow.
2. You are surrounded by innovative ideas
There is huge competition in the market
outside. If you’re not doing anything new, the brand loyal customers will never choose you over their beloved brands. Thus, if you’re working in a startup, it is definite that you will be surrounded by innovative ideas about how to capture the market. Someday, you might be the one coming up with an idea that would revolutionize the vision of your entire team, and change the trajectory of the startup you are working in. Trust me, it feels awesome to be a part of something that makes the world a better place; to be the one behind the sole idea that leads to that change feels awesome at a whole other level.
3. You meet like minded people
If you’re working in a startup and you are truly dedicated towards its vision and mission, you are bound to meet like-minded people because ultimately whosoever chooses to work on the same startup must feel for the same cause. When you work with like-minded people, your work friends become your friends for life. They help you grow career-wise and also cover for you if you are going through some troubles in your personal life. Since they know the exact nature of your work and your situation in life, they also give you the best advice, be it client related, customer related or just choosing which phone to buy!
4. There is huge potential for growth
In a startup, no one dictates your area of work. You get to choose what you want to work at, how much time you want to invest in it and how you want to go about it. If something fails, you are responsible for making it work. Since everyone is new, and ultimately you have the same goal that is, to make your startup profitable without unnecessarily exploiting the customers, there is a sense of trust between all employees. They have faith that you will do your job properly and that faith becomes a driving force in making you grow as you go forward.
5. The scope of learning is unlimited
In a startup, you might have a specific area that you have been hired for, but that doesn’t mean you will be limited to that area. You get to expand your horizons so much so that a content manager can go ahead and work with the finance division, a marketing person might go ahead and manage the design, someone hired just to handle a social media channel might become a part of the core management. There is no end to learning if you are willing to invest your time in the startup.
6. You get to choose your working hours.
Freedom to choose your hours of working is only gained by people working in well-established companies after a long struggle to reach to the top. However, in a startup, from the very beginning, you get to choose when you want to work. You are given a target and then it is left to you if you want to complete a week’s work in a day or spread it across the week and give it an hour or two every day. As long as you complete your targets, usually no one asks you how much time you’re putting into it. With the time that you save, you can take up courses that add to your knowledge, you can take up freelance work and earn some extra bucks, you can enroll in college, or just chill and binge on movies and shows!
7. Salary doesn’t matter
As they say, when you love your work, it doesn’t matter how much you’re getting paid to do it. If your salary defaults, it doesn’t cause you a motivational setback. You have an assignment, you chose to work on it, you are appreciated for it, and you love doing it. Salary seems like a bonus. If you get it, amazing, if you don’t, well, you still get to do something you love without having to pay for it!
8. You always have a task
Running a startup is a tedious process. It requires all hands on deck to work diligently and efficiently. While for the management it becomes a nightmare to get all the work done, for the employees, it is a party, especially if you are a workaholic! Usually, targets are assigned depending on the time that you are willing to invest in the startup. Some people choose to work just 4 hours in a week while some work for as much as 12 hours a day. No matter how much time you choose, in a startup, it is ensured that you always have something to work on. If you complete your target and want to do some more work, just let the management know, they will find a job for you to do.
Choosing to work in a startup is one of the better decisions that I have made in my life, and that has made quite a lot of difference in my life.
