XP of working in a very small Startup

Most people would likely say that working for a startup can be a thrilling and potentially stressful experience, with moments of fun and even fear thrown in for good measure. Personally, I've found this to be true in my own experience working at a ~35 people startup: for the past 3 months as an intern (now working as FT Engineer here). Here I will try to share my journey, thinking transition and phases of “ wow, it’s a startup, I will get to work on so many things '' to thinking “ is it even worth it, working so much ”

Despite the challenges, I've found the experience to be incredibly rewarding and looking forward to continuing my journey with my current startup.

I have tried to share my whole experience in pointers

My initial worry (about rejecting an MNC offer and joining a startup)

  • Some background information, I received an offer from an MNC for the role of a junior software Developer, which included a 6 month of internship period during my college time, AKA during the placements drive, but eventually, that internship got canceled and we were notified to join directly as Full Time employees

  • No reason was provided to us, but this was obviously because of the incoming recession on the way, but during this time, I realized what to expect and how things could potentially get worse, so this made me a little alert of the job market scenario.

  • And during that time I started updating my resume and started working again on my skills, along the way I received an internship offer for the role of a software engineer and a PPO depending on my work in those 3 months of internship, although the CTC was exactly the same that I was offered by the other company.

  • So eventually I joined the startup with a feeling of a little skepticism.

  • And, considering my life was a little too favorable upon me (sarcastically obviously), that almost 20 days of working in the company as an intern,

  • That working peacefully for almost 20 days as an intern in my current org, I received a mail that twisted my peace for good 3 hours straight(no kidding), where I had to decide what I wanted more, the security of working in an MNC with cozy chairs, free coffees, and subsidized food or the working Saturdays, greater workload, no work-life balance, but a steep growth in learning and more ownership, not to mention the unexplored work culture and having the CTO as your manager(which made me conscious even before joining), it might sound obvious for some of the people working in a startup, but trust me, it’s a lot for a college student with absolutely no work experience(not even a previous internship) what-so-ever.

The People :

  • Let me give you a little brief about my experience with the people.

  • It’s no secret to anyone that people working in a startup are exposed to a great culture and flat hierarchy in the system(if you are lucky enough, which was my case)

  • From what I understand :

    • A company gets built by the people working there and the culture is the summation of the thought process of the people of that company.

      • Culture gets built by the people: Culture gets defined by the people working in the system and the initial pillars(founding members ~first 30-40 people) of the company.
    • Always ready to help: One thing I have realized while working in a startup is that, even if anyone is busy with their own stuff, no one will ever say no to you for any help, people go out of their way to help you just to make sure that the work gets done because a startup runs by a collaborative effort, where you have to row the boat in sync with everyone to be a rowing champion for the team to win.

    • Ambitiously Fueled people working under the same roof: The one thing which is common for anyone working in a small organization is that most highly ambitious people join a startup who wants to build something of their own, irrespective of the field they are working, be it sales, operations, tech or audit, which makes you feel that you are in a pool of really hard-working people who are just as hungry as you are.

You get to meet veterans and respected individuals from the space who have built something valuable in the past:

  • When you get to meet the co-founder of a company who has built a multi-billion-dollar profitable marketplace e-commerce platform(met Myntra co-founder Vineet Saxena) at a time when startups were not termed cool, you just know that you made the right decision to join a startup, because just access to these people is a goldmine if you can ask the right questions to them.

  • I genuinely feel that working in a startup is rewarding as hell, but only if you believe in some cliche lines which actually hold very true :]

    • It’s as simple as you genuinely loving the work you are doing on an everyday basis or

    • You have really found harmony, a flow in the work you are doing

    • You feel that your work is valued in the organization you are working, and you are a rather valuable asset for your company

  • Your thinking could be a culmination of either or all of the above thoughts, or else you will feel like “Why am I working so much on this, what's the point, this is not my startup”

Okay, but do I even belong here?

  • A sense of belonging comes when you find your own spot and it is especially important to feel like you belong, as it can help to ease the transition into a new work environment and make it easier to form positive relationships with your colleagues.

  • For most of the people I have had a conversation with, about working in an office for the first time in their life, everyone, literally everyone, said the same thing initially, working in a startup is challenging, it is tough on multiple levels, physically, mentally and sometimes even emotionally, but you need to find your flow, where your sense of state has adapted to the change around you. You no longer feel lost in such a dynamic environment.

Let's talk about the Hustle

  • Now let's discuss the elephant in the room, it is a must to have a reason to be working for a startup rather than working just because you have to; the point here I am trying to prove is simple, there's just so much work, that at some point, you will look for change to a rather "chill environment" if you don't have any motivation or a stern reason for working at that place.

  • My POV after working in a startup is that hustle as a culture is not celebrated, but rather it’s important to deliver work even if it requires you to go far and beyond your comfort zone(average-office-timings), which means sitting in front of your laptop on a Sunday evening till 2:00 am, which makes it look like you are hustling, but rather you are just doing what's required to be done and what's important.

  • One can boast about their company’s culture to any extent. Still, honestly, it is a risk one is taking as an employee while joining such a small org, even more, if it’s your first company because you are absolutely raw in a professional environment with no expectations whatsoever, towards the company, towards your team, and towards your manager.

  • Having no expectations could be potentially a blessing in disguise because you are kind of ready for the worst just because there is no reference available to look out for anywhere.

  • In the end, I will not suggest anyone join a startup before thinking through it, especially not before doing their thorough due diligence in terms of talking to people working in the same environment, a good option would be to talk with the people who work in the same org before joining, if possible.