The Generalist - #1: Why you should not stay only in startups
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.
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.
Very good point. Didn't realize this, but yes. Realized what is right and what isn't in many ways at the corporate.
It’s actually a great first job, that makes you a super employee for corporate and big tech - they’ll hire you over another prick from consulting.
Then you’ll join and feel wtf is this, I want to build again - so you’re able to come back to startups at a higher pay 🪃
Best of all worlds 🙌🏼
Started from big tech - Less pay, limited learning and growth.
But had a better work balance
Joined startup 3 years back. Great salary, great hike. Leaned a lot not only in my expertise but entirety of a product .
Did big tech help get a better salary at the startup, in your case?
SOS! LinkedIn Invasion! SOS!
Haha No, that's not the intention I promise. The difference is on LinkedIn people do it to make themselves looks smart in front of their network. My core motivation with this is that hopefully a few people actually find this helpful.
🙌
It's been 8 months since my first job where I'm one of the initial engineers at an early stage startup and the amount of stuff I have learned and still learning is 10x more than my friends working at SBCs and PBCs. Initially it was hard as you have to understand the codebase and how things work but luckily I picked it up in a month. I never got the chance to do an internship during my BTech. WFH, decent pay and no work pressure