I used to tell my friends, "When you work at an early-stage startup, there’s no life outside work."
Two years in, I now realize—there's no life inside work either.
For context: I’m part of a 9-person tech team at an early-stage startup. Indefinite working hours? Check. A manager who always finds something missing? Double check. Lack of appreciation, constant nitpicking, and zero interest in the product? Triple check. At this point, I’m not even burned out—I’m just well-done.
So, dear community, I have a few burning questions:
Is this just how early-stage startups work, or did I unlock a hard mode version?
Hustle is great, but at what point does pressure stop fueling innovation and just start killing brain cells?
Do HRs still frown upon multiple job switches in a short span, or have we collectively accepted that some workplaces are just relationship red flags?
Would love to hear your thoughts—especially if you’ve survived this phase and lived to tell the tale!
PS. I’m willing to work for more than 70 hours + GST (same rate of Caramel popcorn) on a INTERESTING PRODUCT at pay range just to come in 30% income tax slab for founders who are not a fan of Time’s Vulgarity Show
Why u want to earn high pnly whta ur reason
I want to earn high because:
Ok so u want high padkage only find good mnc or work i. Stratup is rhe only choice than
Constant nitpicking. Well-done 🤣🤣. Grilled and smoked. All your fat vaporised.
All startups are like this
This is more than common even in established MNC. The only difference is in addition to the manager there is a loony team mate who is desperate to show his/her hard work and attention to detail. IMO, attention to detail is required only in two areas - money related issues and user /customer related issues.
If you are ok working 70 hours per week, use it to develop your DSA and system design, Give multiple interviews and reiterate this for few months and crack companies like rippling or coinbase whose wlb is shit but pay top tier.
Startups are super hard. As an employee what you need to evaluate is your skin in the game.
With the kind of efforts you are putting up, what’s the upside for you? Are you paid brilliantly well, are you having esop that can help you make life changing money?
There comes a time in life where even if you are not working at startup there is no life outside work because all your friends/family/colleagues are busy building their life, so you will eventually end up getting alone or spending very time with all.
Among all you evaluate what you want? If you are in age of 26-32 yrs, this is the time when you have energy/enthusiasm to hustle but as you grow from here you will start having family, responsibility of parents/children etc and that is when you need time and money both. So if you are in a state where you can make great money today buy hustling you are actually safe guarding your future where you will have both.
Now answering the other part, do take small breaks, once a quarter/six month get away for a small vacation/trips.
Play sports/gym/road trips once a month, these are things that will keep you away from getting mentally saturated and burned out.
Rest, hustle hard!
If your startup is not rewarding you well, switch as well. Hustle only when you know there is great upside to it.
Got you sir, this piece of advice I was looking for.
Also you mentioned the switch, let's say early stage startups are volatile and due to unforeseen circumstances you need to change multiple companies, how to justify to HRs.
Do one find difficulty in shortlisting in top MNCs having multiple switches
When did i write this post, i don't remember.
Us 😂
Your are in wrong startup.. I'm working where there is only 3 devs but we have best wlb, best manager, time to time appreciation, full freedom, flexible working hours, great pay:)
What's your yoe ?
Startup pressure can vary as not every founder or team has figured out how things work. There is value in start up for an individual (IC) until the individual is
able to connect and reciprocate ideas with leadership
has transparency on the value of a feature/task that has to be developed/performed.
being able to have a hand in every other domain present in the company, not say you have to do everything but at least able to understand the task and can contribute to small tasks when possible. This gives a lot of maturity on how things work.
As for the HR consideration on multiple job switches, HR's want stable candidates generally who stay in their job for at least 2 years. HR's also know that with all the instability in the global economy, most of the candidates also have similar tenures with companies, it has become a new normal.
Thanks
Well done 😆 bhai mast relate
U are meant to work in amazon
Just applied there
I’ve been working in a startup since last 8 months and I am exhausted. The team size is around 30 (frontend and backend). Some weekends are working too and there’s nothing like timings. I am left with nothing but just work, no other act...
About me: 25M working in a super early stage startup for 1yr.
The startup is only 2 yrs old with seed funding. 2 pivots, but none worked. The 3rd pivot is interesting and we still don't know if it'll work
I want to understand the lif...
So I am working at a startup for around a year now. Everyday I see, it feels, what am I really doing? Where is the life headed? Doing bare minimum or doing your tasks and fucking off isn't enough. It's expected that we outgrow cons...
Been there, but money is very important especially for a middle class family, for most of us we are earning 5x more t...
Your dopamine receptors are fried. Get rid of social media apps and get a dopamine detox. I know your aren’t looking ...
Everyone feels the same. Only sociopaths and lifeless zombies find 'enrichment', 'meaning', 'purpose' from working th...
Startups life. No sleep, late nights, weekends, no Diwali holidays, not seeing your family for years, unethical Founders, difficulty to build trust with friends and ex colleagues after you moved to startups, what has been your story.
