Judging a company before joining

Hi folks, I'm Kashish, the CEO of EquityList and Founder of Cloud Capital which I run as a solo GP. A little bit about what we do: EquityList is a full-stack equity management platform by AngelList India. Companies across India, US and Singapore use EquityList to manage their cap table, stock options (ESOP/SAR), shareholders, and related compliances. Managing equity for 10k+ stakeholders, 250+ companies and ~$1B in stock options. Cloud Capital has deployed $8M+ in 55+ startups such as Airmeet, Rupifi, Orange Health, DevRev, ZET (OneCode) and others. I've also angel invested in startups such as OSlash, Atlys, Chronicle, Even Healthcare and others. Excited to do this AMA, and look forward to answering any of your questions about ESOPs, cap table management, investing, entrepreneurship, and more! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kashisharma

What questions would you ask to evaluate if you should join an early stage startup in this market? The objective is to ensure job longevity, avoid getting laid off and experience a reasonable amount of growth. Is there anything else that we can do apart from asking questions to the company folks?

Could anybody from Zepto or Ex-Zepto shed some light on their engineering culture. In the process of considering either Zepto or an early stage pre-seed startup. My priorities in order: 1. Learning 2. Good hierarchy of managers 3. Stability 4. Pay

After going through so many posts on grapevine..I feel like all the startups in India are toxic only 😕😕 Really want to know which are the startups worthy of joining? Preferably in product roles

I've been observing a concerning trend lately on this platform, and I believe it's high time we rethink the way we treat startup founders. Take a moment to consider the dedication and courage it takes to leave a secure job and venture into the world of entrepreneurship. I feel Companies like Dukaan, AppX etc were unnecessarily mocked here based on one side of opinion, I've had the privilege of working closely with a startup's CTO for the past two years, and it's been an eye-opening experience. Startups are like fragile ecosystems where every member plays a crucial role. However, what I've noticed is that sometimes employees who find it challenging to keep up with the dynamic startup environment tend to cast blame on the founders and the company culture. Let's remember, every startup is a journey of learning, growth, and innovation. Founders make mistakes, learn from them, and strive to create something meaningful. They invest their time, energy, and resources into building something from scratch. Instead of mocking them, we should applaud their courage and determination. But, what's even more disheartening is the toxic behavior exhibited by some employees here on Grapevine. It's disheartening to see individuals intentionally targeting someone's reputation due to personal grudges. Instead of resorting to negativity, let's try to understand the challenges startup founders face. Put yourself in their shoes; empathize with the pressure, uncertainty, and sleepless nights they endure to bring their visions to life. We should strive to be a community that supports and uplifts one another, especially those who are trying to make a difference in the business world. Let's promote constructive criticism and empathy, recognizing that we all have our unique journeys, struggles, and successes. #SupportStartups #EmpathyMatters #GrapevineCommunity 🌟

I don’t know who needs to hear it, but do not blindly trust good glassdoor/ambitionbox/others ratings. In this bad market every company is working well below what their rating portrays. Now it could be 5/5 in one team but 2/5 in another in general sense. However, now the top to bottom trickle of pressure, politics and such is ensuing. You might think you’re seeing good people in ur next job, reviews are mostly good, work/role looks fine and jump into the company - only to realise that soon good people are being removed or they’re moving. See if u are not able to get honest feedback from someone in the company or ur new team before u join - be prepared for harsher reality. Like Swiggy was really good 1 year back or more but no longer. So it’s in ur best interest to get the current ground reality before joining somewhere in this economic condition.

Have received an offer from a start up of about 50 people, recently got funded. My current role is APM , from past almost 2 years and while it's not perfect, Its reasonably okay. What considerations should be taken before deciding to make the switch?

Company name - Chat360 It's pretty small and inconspicuous, but if I save even one person from joining this organisation, I will consider it worth it. Based on first hand accounts from 3 very reliable sources who are confirmed employees. A very basic chatbot platform, being marketed as a Gen AI first product. They don't even have basic NLP and claim to be Gen AI.  The founder & ceo is completely directionless. This is his side hustle, but while interviewing new hires he claims that he is the full time CEO (this is not true, he is barely available and always busy in his main business which is a car dealership)  The co-founder is an IIT-grad, and due to the Founder's absence is basically running the show though he has zero business acumen. He constantly bitches about the founder to senior employees. Of course, with such a toxic back story, it is hell to work here. No unity in the team, lot of back biting and bitching, public humiliation on WhatsApp groups, constant blame game. Basically, a shitshow.  Do not, do not, do not join this place. Avoid it like the plague.