Stories

You probably shouldn’t work at a startup

It’s overrated—both financially and emotionally

Evan Armstrong
Evan Armstrong
January 29th, 2022
Evan Armstrong is an investor, founder, and adviser. He's a lead writer at Every, where he writes the Napkin Math, a publication focused on business breakdowns, by the numbers. Find him on Twitter: @itsearmstrong.

TL;DR

  • This article is for someone trying to decide whether to work at an early-stage, venture-backed startup.
  • There is a romantic vision of startup employment that doesn’t hold up under close scrutiny.
  • Business model risk is extreme and the financial opportunity cost is significant.
  • Typically we assume that a startup is a better overall employment experience, this probably isn’t true for most people
  • There are some circumstances where working at a startup makes sense! But it is important to go in with open eyes.
This article was originally published on Every, a publication and writer collective focused on business.
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