this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2025
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"I work 80 hrs for my own business and I expect everyone else to do so...on a regular salary"
No, on a startup salary. Which might be minimum wage (on a 40h basis). His advice is solid: for someone who looks for work life balance a startup is not the right employer. They will be much happier in a big boring established company. If someone is in their 20s, little family obligations, wants to have a high risk high reward experience, go for it.
Yeah, started out like that. First employee in a startup (when I started it was me and the four co-owners). I helped build that thing up from the ground. I created the whole IT and software development aspect of the company. I did so for the salary of a supermarket worker, even though I was department lead with 7 people under me at the end. Yearly bonus was a €50 Amazon voucher.
I helped raise the company from 5 guys up to 50 in 3 continents. Never got anything for it.
Boss threw a big hissy fit when I didn't want to come into the office during lockdown even though it was against the law to do so.
After I handed in my resignation, the boss never even talked to me once.
Working at a startup is not high risk high reward. It's high risk, high work, no reward.
Anyone who thinks there's reward in it for the workers is naive. Unless the worker gets paid in undilutable shares of the company, all the reward goes to the owner. And unless an owner pays me like an owner, I'm not going to give half a shit about the company.
100%
These startup bros got real "I need an army of desperate folks who can be paid in motivational speeches to make my dreams come true because I bring nothing to the table." Energy lol.
As I always say. With these types, freedom does not mean freedom from tyranny but rather freedom to become a tyrant.
"I'll hustle and work really hard, then one day, I'll get to wear the boot! "
Yeah, it was my first real job in the field. It was a hard lesson learned.
Don't give more than what you get paid for. Don't be more loyal than the company is loyal to you.
If you don't get undilutable shares, why on earth would you work for a startup??? Unemployment has been at an all time low for the last what, 20 years? Plenty of jobs out there, the only argument for a startup is the lottery ticket.