Corporate slave to Founder > Founder slave to VC > VC slave  > Investors 🔁

Have an understanding co-founder( even if from the same domain) and list down things you don't know as a group and divide who is to learn what. We did this for  design, ML and frontend( though they all are tech related) As for finance I would suggest just get a good lawyer and CA( preferably through connect) and even if you have to pay a bit more pay that money.  
  
  
 One thing you need to really look at is tracking burn and that doesn't really need knowledge of finance

Co-Founder

Founder

Were you a Corporate slave before founding your company What was the switchover point for you How do you manage all depts in your company like sales can be difficult while also taking care of finance

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

Were you a Corporate slave before founding your company
What was the switchover point for you
How do you manage all depts in your company like sales can be difficult while also taking care of finance

Corporate Slave to Founder

Consultant

Corporate Slave to Founder- Grapevine

Hello everyone,

Saw quite some people doing AMAs on this platform from VCs to Engineers, but nobody from Founder's Office roles.

Knowing that this role is somewhat new in the job market, not many people still know a lot about it. Shoot your questions, would answer them to the best of my capacity.

Background: Worked in the FO role for 2 FMCG brands, before joining a Fintech where I am working right now. Graduated from BIT, Mesra in 2021, but started working alongside my graduation coz of COVID.

AMA - Working in Founder's Office from past 3 years.

Founder’s Office

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

To all people who have switched from conventional corporate careers like consulting, banking etc. to a founder's office role

How has your experience been?
What worked/ didn't work?
What do you think is a long term play here?
What should one consider before switching?

Do mention the stage and industry. TIA!

Your founder's office role experience

Business Analyst

Sharing a note from the day I resigned. Well, alot happened from then and I am just grateful for how things have turned out. 

Also, happy festives guys🥳🥳

Just Grateful 😇

Please try not to glorify just doing your own thing. Do it because you want to make a difference to something or someone.

Product Owner

Generalist

Has anyone made the shift from entrepreneurship to corporate employee for the first time in their mid thirties. How was the shift ? How did you manage expectations and what helped change your mindset to keep up with the changes ?

Entrepreneur to Corporate employee.

I have been talking to a few companies, across different size bands.
Only Indian startups seem to obsessed with full week WFO/Micromanagement.

A few years back, startups were known for being more flexible, now it just seems to be the reverse.

Why are Indian startups so obsessed with Micromanagement? i.e. WFO

I know a lot of folks will not agree, but when it comes to accountability (+ some integrity), the vast majority are really really behind. Those who show some are stomped up on as well.  
  
 The only way to get over this might be to micromanage. I'm not in support of it, but I myself have been seeing a change around me because of some people, a few others will also have to suffer from micro-management. Yes, it's not easy on me/my mind, but the work is moving a bit more.  
  
 I've seen this at a lot of places. I usually trust others with things, but the results have more often disappointed me. Now, I just delegate only of it's really required.

Product Manager

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

Ask me anything about Byjus

Engineering Manager

Chief of Staff is like the Badi Bahu (eldest daughter-in-law), expected to fix 3 decades of shit work culture

One of my bosses introduced me as "She follows me wherever I go"
Am I the Hutch dog?! (If you don't know Hutch dog, you are way too young)

It can be a rewarding role only if you know how to set firm boundaries; otherwise, people gonna take advantage of you.

[Rant] Chief of Staff is just a fancy title

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

After working hard for 6 yoe able to save 1.8 cr.
Working in Bangalore
1cr cash plus 70 lakh house gave cash
Ask me anything

After 6 yoe able to save 1.8cr

Frontend Engineer

Anyone here working for upgrad? Will be interviewing for them, just wanted to know about their WLB and other benefits? (If any lol?)

Wary of edtech startups being crapshoot and prone to layoffs, but overall they're giving a nice bump on my existing CTC, just want to make sure not jeopardizing something in the long run although my preference has been getting the bag but not at the cost of my sanity.

Upgrad WLB and Culture

Chartered Accountant

Hi folks, thinking of writing a regular mini blog here about my learnings being a generalist in the ecosystem.
I currently handle growth at an ecom startup and have previously been through 2-3 startups + a large corporate in my 7 year career.

#1: Why you should not stay only in startups

Recently started reflecting on salaries of many peers who are also startup folks and trying to see where it stands.
There are 3 cohorts:
a. People who started out in Big 4/Corporate & then became a generalist: They've been underpaid the most. First pay was 4-5L, and when they transitioned to startups, started at 7-9L. Over time, growing from there is difficult without MBA.

b. People who have forever been in startups: They earn more than A on average. But here too, there is a delta in their salaries vs. people with same YoE who went to an MBA and are in corporate now. Side note: I've seen this cohort has usually loved what they've done, and being in startups definitely has positively impacted their thought process.

c. People who went to a corporate/big tech etc. mid way: This cohort has done the best long term. Their pay got recalibrated when they went to a larger company in the middle through their career, and when they rejoined startups, they were respected more in salary negotiation.

This is to anybody out there who is a generalist and sees a similar path. Try to sandwich a proper, large company in your career. It gives you perspective on whether you like it and if startups is really your preferred route. And it also recalibrates your pay.

Startups will limit you basis your last salary. Corporates have standards basis bands. Just something to think over.

NOTE: Do share feedback, if this makes sense. And if you'd like to read more of these too.

The Generalist - #1: Why you should not stay only in startups

Not only compensation, corporates help you to learn saying “NO” to not-related tasks. I see young startup folks in the name of “learning” are forced to do anything and everything. In my first startup role, I was handling the responsibilities of a PM + ops, which burnt me like anything without any significant skills gain. Corporate taught me delegation, saying “No” to things which aren’t part of your team.

Corporate Strategist

So I have been working at a company for close to a year now, appraisal is due in june. I work as chief of staff in the founder’s office in a profitable startup. I am an individual contributor that does program management, business dev at times, business planning and strategy, corp dev and investor relations. Love the work I get to do here and we’re doing well as a business. Im hold a mba from top 3 IIMs and have contributed very well to the company with the almost 4 years exp in fintech before joining here, Im expecting a raise but I dont know what’s the indutry standard for such a role. Can someone pls help?

Need help w negotiation

Program Manager

AMA- 15 yrs exp across consulting, VC & Growth stage company. Now a founder

I work at a startup and have been here for more than 7 years. I joined right after graduating from a tier 1 engineering college (one of the old IITs). I was the first team member after the founders and now hold the position of non tech CXO in the company. The startup has grown significantly, not in traditional funding terms but in actual business. I have dedicated countless days and nights to growing this company, hardly taking a single day off in the initial 4 years, and often working more than 10 hours daily. My salary has increased proportionately to what I should be paid (>65 LPA), and I also have decent ESOPs in the company, which could be worth anywhere between 2 to 4 crores depending on the valuation at which we raise funds. However, I don’t count ESOPs as real money. In the next 10 years, it's going to be a very big thing, and I am glad to be part of it. Many of my friends, who have done MBA from IIMs and worked at BCG or Bain, are craving for the position I am in.

But I feel FOMO about not trying anything else in life. It's like achieving decent success on the first try. I use the word "decent" and not "crazy" because it's not crazy success.

What do I want ideally?
I'd like to take a 6-month break and then figure out my next steps. Maybe start something new or join another company at a leadership level. But I am too afraid of not getting the same opportunities and ending up struggling.

Thus the question:
Is there any agency that works specifically to help you get a job at a CXO position? How does it work? Can a non-MBA with 8 years of work experience get a CXO position at a decently big company (>300-500 crores in revenue)?

CXO Position, Right after college. Confused now !

Growth Manager

IIT grad here building a venture backed startup. I think 99% of folks here believe that venture backed founders are super entitled and in a much "cosier" position than employees

Just sharing a few facts about our journey so far if it helps anyone improve their perspectives-

1) Paying ourselves 33% of our campus salary & 60% of what we are paying to our employees (Talking about Pure Base Salary here, not including ESOPs)

2) Insane stress - You basically have to raise money to build (esp if its deeptech because of the high fixed costs) and there are predefined metrics you have to always chase, sometimes just beyond yourselves. 

Your product will be copied if it's good because well, they always have more money than you. You work 7 days a week for insane hours, chasing metrics required to be "afloat" 

3) 99% of venture backed startups result in 0 liquidity gain for founders. So basically in all likeliness, everything is for a net negative return compared to if we took the campus job

So, when you wholeheartedly bash founders as if they are sitting On a goldmine while you are toiling for THEIR gold Treasure, just understand that more likely than not, there is not really any gold but rather an irrational hope they are clinging to

Also, Yes-we pay above market to our employees (100% hike for the last one) but the truth is some startups just Can't afford it. And ironically, there is a much higher looking down on these startups with meagurely paid founders rather than giants like Tech Mahindra paying peanuts to their employees while having a 1000% salary hike for the executives. 

Yeah, most startups need to do better but please appreciate if someone is atleast trying to do better because trust me, it's INSANELY HARD.. 

The number of posts I see about Flipkart making hundreds millionaires is way too less than the ones I see about pinpointing at every single mistake early stage startups do & I just wanted to express my opinion on it

Peace!

People way overestimate the life of founders

Oh no poor founders, they have to pay fair salary to their employees.

Software Engineer

Hi, Grapeviners


Can anybody tell me where can I find /apply to remote jobs of startups based out of US.

I'm an Ex-founder with 4+ years of experience, just closed down operations of my company , looking for a full time role in product roles 


If Anybody can help , suggest, guide, that would be great.

Thank you so much

Remote jobs

Project Manager

1. PA - Personal Assistant
Managing your personal commitments, people very high up (read rich) hire them, because their personal social life is as active

2. EA - Executive Assistant 
Managing professional commitments, they ensure your calendar is up to date, your travel and stay bookings, basically admin work for CXOs

3. PM - Personal Managers
The ones that celebrities have, they manage personal and professional commitments 

4. CoS - Chief of Staff
Generally to CEO/Founders (can be to other CXOs too), one person keeping founders on track with mission the company is built for. 
Strictly professional role, but some new age founders try blurring these lines. Major red flag 🚩 

5. Founder's Office
Can be one to multiple members, taking care of different departments - marketing, strategy, operations, etc.
This is usually huge cost to company, and very profitable (or well funded) companies can manage sustaining these.

Putting in here what I have learnt in the industry, please feel free to correct me/ add more details here

PA vs EA vs CoS vs Founder's Office - How are they all different?

One comes from an IIM, One from an IIT,one comes from abroad, one from a local college and one from some or the other family

Recruiter

Hey! I have been working with a startup for the last two years & this is my first job.
When I joined, I was of course this naïve, wide-eyed college graduate who believed in the goodness of people & the 'mission and vision' of the company.

However, over the last 2 years I have realised that my company is definitely in a morally grey area in terms of business practices. We're not breaking any laws, but I can see that we're being unfair to our users on many levels. All for user acquisition, growth, revenue, profit. 

I can not reveal more information, but I can draw parallels! 
Just like how swiggy/zomato don't pay their fleet of deliverymen enough, or charge restaurants really high commission + reduce quantities for customers, or how Amazon affects small businesses & their profit margins, my company is also lowkey being unfair to our users. 

How do you deal with this feeling of guilt? Do you separate it from your personal life? Do you switch it off?

How do you deal with your moral compass?

Marketing Associate

Maybe it’s just a bad month for me but I am genuinely considering whether I want to continue working in Startup’s after 4 years of chaos.(Mostly Product Management)

Has anyone here made the transition to a corporate role? How was it better/worse? 🤕

Corporate Slave to Founder

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