First published: July 1, 2021 @ 9:18 pm
Startups are popping up everywhere. From a friend of mine who works at an early stage startup, the ratio of time spent working to time spent at home is almost 100%. That’s not something I’d ever have to deal with, but it sounds like an incredible experience.
There are many types of startups, but most of them are technology related. What if you could get a look at what a day at a tech startup is like? What would you do? What would be the big picture? How would your life change?
In this article, we will try to answer those questions by getting a glimpse into the life of a tech startup. We will use my own experience as an example, because it’s not entirely typical.
But there are probably more interesting experiences out there, so we hope this helps you imagine what it might be like. What’s it like to work at a startup? It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to work at a startup.
There are no normal 9-5 jobs out there anymore, and the people who start these companies are probably in the same boat as you are. There is no security, but there is opportunity for growth.
It can be challenging at times (especially if you have family obligations), but in general it’s an amazing experience that most people don’t get to have in their lives. You get to learn new things every day, see how far your skills can take you, and meet some amazing people along the way.
So what does a day at a tech startup look like? There are some similarities to a regular job, but there are also some major differences.
1. Flexibility
One of the biggest differences is flexibility. A regular job is almost entirely set in stone, and it doesn’t change much at all throughout the year.
You have to show up for work every day, and you have to follow a set schedule for your hours. On the other hand, startups are constantly changing.
Some days will be more busy than others, but there is never a guarantee that you will have a full day’s work on any given day. This means that your schedule can be completely unpredictable at times, and you don’t always know what kind of hours you’ll be working.
2. Full-time vs part-time jobs
This one is important because it has huge implications on your life and career path. For starters, there are no part-time jobs at startups.
If you have a full-time job outside of work, then it’s not going to work out very well if you decide to leave that job to go work at a startup (you’ll probably lose your benefits and have trouble finding another job).
Also, if you take a full-time position at an early stage startup, then you’ll have to quit your job and it will be difficult to find another one afterwards.
If you are thinking about taking a full-time position at a startup, then you need to ask yourself if you are okay with leaving your current job behind for good. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run.
3. Working all the time
This is not really an issue at startups because they are constantly growing and changing. However, there are a lot of startups that only work during normal business hours.
These startups don’t work on weekends or after hours because they don’t have enough staff or don’t want to waste time and money working outside business hours. It’s important to keep in mind that working all the time is a very common thing for startups, but not everyone is okay with it.
If you are looking for a regular 9-5 job, then this might not be the right kind of place for you. If you can deal with working 24/7 without issue, then go for it! You’ll be more productive that way and have more time to spend with your family or on hobbies.
4. A job vs a career
This is something that a lot of people don’t realize, but it’s actually really important. You are not just working at a startup to make money.
You are working at a startup because you want to start your own company one day. You aren’t going to quit your job and take your skills and knowledge to another company.
It’s more like an internship than anything else. The biggest difference between working at a startup and working in the corporate world is that you get to be in charge of your own career path.
In the corporate world, it’s pretty much all decided for you by the time you start out. You get trained, you go through some sort of training program, and then you’re sent out into the world with a bunch of other people who have the same background as you do.
At startups, you get to choose how things work for yourself. There are tons of paths available to everyone, so it’s completely up to you what kind of career path you want to take.
Some people stay in their same role for years and others move on within months or even weeks! The startup environment is very different from a regular job.
The work is never boring and it’s always interesting. I would be constantly learning new things and working on new projects that I had never worked on before.
It’s definitely not for everyone though. If you’re looking for a stable 9-5 job with a set schedule, then you probably won’t like the startup lifestyle.
You’ll have to deal with lots of crazy hours and change, so it might not be the best choice for you.
How much does this job pay?
The salary varies greatly depending on the role you take at a startup. A lot of people will have salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per year.
There are also a lot of startups that pay nothing at all, but this isn’t common. Most startups pay between $60,000 and $80,000 per year (more if you are working as an engineer or product manager).
For someone who is starting out their career in tech, these numbers aren’t too bad at all. You can get started off right away without any debt, and you’ll have a good chance of getting a raise in the future.
Salary can also vary depending on the startup itself. There are startups that pay their employees nothing and don’t give raises, but there are also a lot of startups that do give raises every year.
Some startups also give you bonuses or additional perks such as health insurance.
What kind of skills do I need?
This will vary greatly depending on the role you take at a startup. If you’re an engineer, then you’ll need to know how to program in at least one language (preferably more).
You’ll also need to know how to work with a team, and you’ll need to know how to get things done on time. If you’re working as a product manager, then you’ll need to be able to communicate with your team and help them prioritize their work.
You’ll also need to be able to work well under pressure, and you’ll need to be able to manage multiple projects at once. For a salesperson, you’ll need to be able to understand what your customers want and be able to sell them on the idea of using your product.
You’ll also need to be able to understand how pricing works and be able to find the right pricing for your product.
What kind of projects do I work on?
This will vary greatly depending on the role you take at a startup. If you’re an engineer, then you’ll probably spend most of your time working on code. You’ll probably have a few projects going at once, and it’s up to you which ones you work on.
If you’re working as a product manager, then you’ll probably spend most of your time managing the project and making sure that everything is running smoothly. You’ll also spend some time researching new ideas and figuring out what will work best for your customers.
If you’re working as a salesperson, then you’ll spend most of your time talking with potential customers and finding out what they want. You’ll also spend some time researching pricing strategies and finding the best way to sell them on using your product.
The biggest difference between all these roles is that engineers are usually building something from scratch, while product managers are helping the existing products to be better.
Salespeople are usually working with an existing product and making it better, but they can also create new products from scratch. You’ll probably spend most of your time working on new ideas and projects, but you’ll also spend some time working on existing projects that are already live.
Find more useful information about startups and other related articles on WorkDeputy blog.
