Work at a Startup Expo 2018

Justin Kan says startup management is often poor, and early employees may need to actively seek mentorship and direction. He adds that startup equity rarely makes employees rich and that startups are a poor fit for people seeking stability or a clear career path.

Kan argues that startups can give people responsibility beyond their experience. He describes Jim, who joined Justin.tv and soon ran its Rails backend, then co-founded Socialcam and later Triplebyte. Kan also says startup work can help people prepare to found companies and accelerate their learning, whether the company succeeds or fails.

Altman says to weigh excitement about the company, its people, and the role, and to consider whether you can grow through work you feel unqualified for. He suggests evaluating a startup as an investment: look for users who love the product, genuine momentum and exponential growth, and a market that could grow substantially over time.

Altman points to technology platform shifts as places where new companies can emerge, and says a platform used for hours each day is a stronger signal than one people rarely use. He also recommends looking for an exciting mission, unusually strong founders and early hires, and ideas that seem unattractive to large companies but can work in a startup.

Altman says recent graduates’ interests can reveal emerging trends, and advises choosing a small group of open-minded people for career counsel. He also argues that startup employees often receive too little equity relative to the value they create and should seek fair treatment.