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Ask HN: Starting my first job in a startup. Advice?

10 points by momofuku ↗ HN
Hey HN! I'm starting my first "real" job in a 50ish employee startup.

To be honest, I'm terrified of multiple things:

1. Why did they pick me, that too in one of the worst job markets? I'm sure they had tons of better/experienced people to hire.

2. What if I don't live up to their expectations?

3. I've always had trouble drawing the line between work and personal life, how do I balance this?

I'd love any perspectives on this situation, or even anecdotes of when you started a new job at a new-ish startup.

Thanks HN!

17 comments

[ 105 ms ] story [ 595 ms ] thread
paulcole
> I'm sure they had tons of better/experienced people to hire

Maybe they saw potential in you. Maybe you’re cheap. Maybe you’re good at interviewing. Maybe they’re bad at hiring. Whatever the case is, they picked you so don’t obsess over reasoning you can’t possibly figure out.

> What if I don't live up to their expectations?

You’ll eventually get fired or you’ll get so miserable that you quit. But most companies don’t like firing people so they’ll give you second, third, fourth chances, etc.

So ask for feedback. Ask your manager (not too often) what to improve on. Take positive feedback as positive feedback. Don’t obsess over whether they’re keeping something from you.

> I've always had trouble drawing the line between work and personal life, how do I balance this

Is this a remote job? If so, only you can make yourself stop working. In that case, you have to develop discipline. If it’s an office job, get in on time and refuse to stay after a certain time. Make up a lie about taking care of a relative or something if you have to.

gus_massa
If they promised you equity, get that in written.
226_ebro_treaty
This applies to anything. Never trust someone's word until it gets written down and signed

Actively distrust the company you're working for. They will f* you over if you stop being useful to them. Always look up for yourself, and do what's right for you, never the company. You're not the owner and will never be.

Don't learn this the hard way.

gus_massa
And even if the guy/gal that is now in charge is nice, they may be hit by a bus or get fired in a takeover or the company sold to a company with evil lawyers.

Also there may be huge differences between what the company "said" and what you heard/remember.

"An oral contract isn't worth the paper it's written on."

markus_zhang
If you get any equity or options ask a lawyer to explain it and the related risks.
MilnerRoute
The very best thing you can do when you're young -- once you've paid off all your interest-carrying debts -- is to set aside some money in an IRA or Roth IRA. (And prepare to just let it sit until you retire.)

It will double in value about once every 10 years. So if you're 25, then by the time you're 75 $2,000 becomes $64,000.

226_ebro_treaty
*Only applies if you're American and doing this in Europe is WAY harder.
bobolino123
In Europe you just try to get enough experience to emigrate, start a business and emigrate or not join a startup and instead try to work as little as possible in a bigger company. Sorry for the nasty comment, it's not as distopian but it's like feeling left out a litte.
226_ebro_treaty
If you're smarter than average. If not, most countries in Europe are a better off deal. Can speak from experience :-)
satvikpendem
401k max until match, then IRA, then max 401k, (then optionally HSA or FSA if you have them) then taxable investments. You also don't want to pay off low interest debt if the interest is lower than the investment average.
DanielRaid
Try to leverage on founder's network and meet more people.
toomuchtodo
1. Don’t dwell on this, just attempt to deliver. Most of life is luck and being at the right place at the right time.

2. They’ll let you go if you don’t meet their expectations. Don’t take it too hard if it happens, it's just a job.

3. If your health starts to decline, you start exhibiting signs of depression, or your personal relationships are materially suffering, reevaluate the role. Therapy or a new role are possible paths forward. If the expectations become unreasonable, bounce.

4. See if you can do an 83(b) election with your equity. If you need an attorney reference to discuss your equity situation, I recommend George Grellas [1]. There is a cost, but it’s reasonable. More resources on equity here [2] [3].

Squeeze the experience for everything it’s worth, that’s the same founders will be doing. Good luck!

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8327893

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28405708

[3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2623777

ryanlime
Definitely understand the pre-job jitters and anxiety. I felt that a lot prior to my previous job and the impostor syndrome was heavy. Here are a couple of things that helped me: 1. During onboarding, keep a log of important things you learn and people you can contact about certain topics. Be sure to understand how you can seek help, where you can seek help, and who you can talk to.

2. Understand that they picked you after the interview process which means they see the potential in you. Instead of thinking: “what if I don’t live up” why not reframe it as “what can I do to live up to what they want and what I want for myself” 3. Set boundaries clearly and utilize tools to help you do this: for example, schedule off slack notifications after 5 pm, let your coworkers know hours you’ll be online and how quickly they can expect you to respond during work hours and that when off work you won’t respond, plan stuff deliberately after work so you’re busy and can’t answer anyways

You got this! Feel free to message if you have any other questions

fmerian
first, congrats :)

I've been working in early-stage startups for 10 years, and here are my principles to fully enjoy the experience:

1: focus // keep the focus on your objectives and results. in a fast-growing environment, you can work on multiple projects. your priority is to reach your goals, get the job done, and make the company grow.

2: ship it // you may have to go beyond your primary missions as described in your job description. learn to learn, learn to dare, and stay curious.

3: your point of view matters // share your thoughts in full transparency. constructive feedback helps the team grow. no matter what the topic is, your work matters.

hope it helps! enjoy!

JoeAltmaier
The first rule of effective development is, if you are blocked or stuck or don't know what something means, speak up! To dither and delay is to create a problem later, when there's no time left to fix it. Delay turns an issue into a problem or even a catastrophe.

Time is your most critical asset in a startup.

ezedv
You were hired for a reason, you got this!