Some signs you might be cut out to work for a startup....Recently some of you may have seen that I shared a blog post on LinkedIn written by my former boss, Penny Herscher, about things to think about if you are considering whether you should make a move to a startup or a big company. I've actually spoken to a number of Friends of Dave about this exact topic as well over the years. Penny's post is excellent food for thought and I have included a link to it below -- check it out.If you have never worked at a startup, I can assure you that the picture you have of what it is like in your mind is very different than the reality. If after reading Penny's piece you are still wondering whether it might be for you, I've come up with my own list of questions for you to answer: Do you like riding roller coasters? How about those in the dark with tracks held together by duct tape and sections that may or may not be finished? Do you actually look forward to stepping on Legos with your bare feet?Do you like going to conferences? How about when you are accompanied by the pop-up booth you have brought to set up yourself?Are the only marketing materials you need the ones written on a pizza box in the conference room/break room/empty cubicle next to you?Do you aspire to have a mirror on your desk with "The IT Guy/Gal" taped to the frame?Can you picture a world where this equation seems perfectly reasonable: (# users who have ever had a free trial + # friends/family using product + # users who have said they would buy "when we have budget")*10 = # of clients you tell an industry friend you have (approximate)Would you agree that the only difference between the "beta version" of a product and the "release version" is someone was crazy enough to pay for it?If you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions, feel free to safely quit your job, grab a hoodie, and head to startup land. If just reading the first question made you feel a little queasy, do yourself a favor and stick with a big company. Offer to go to SXSW, host a hackathon and help build their "corporate innovation lab" to get your fix instead...your family, your bank account and your future self will thank you.Hope this helps! Enjoy the rest of the newsletter and have a great weekend!XOXODave
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Friends of Dave #101: Start Me Up
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Some signs you might be cut out to work for a startup....Recently some of you may have seen that I shared a blog post on LinkedIn written by my former boss, Penny Herscher, about things to think about if you are considering whether you should make a move to a startup or a big company. I've actually spoken to a number of Friends of Dave about this exact topic as well over the years. Penny's post is excellent food for thought and I have included a link to it below -- check it out.If you have never worked at a startup, I can assure you that the picture you have of what it is like in your mind is very different than the reality. If after reading Penny's piece you are still wondering whether it might be for you, I've come up with my own list of questions for you to answer: Do you like riding roller coasters? How about those in the dark with tracks held together by duct tape and sections that may or may not be finished? Do you actually look forward to stepping on Legos with your bare feet?Do you like going to conferences? How about when you are accompanied by the pop-up booth you have brought to set up yourself?Are the only marketing materials you need the ones written on a pizza box in the conference room/break room/empty cubicle next to you?Do you aspire to have a mirror on your desk with "The IT Guy/Gal" taped to the frame?Can you picture a world where this equation seems perfectly reasonable: (# users who have ever had a free trial + # friends/family using product + # users who have said they would buy "when we have budget")*10 = # of clients you tell an industry friend you have (approximate)Would you agree that the only difference between the "beta version" of a product and the "release version" is someone was crazy enough to pay for it?If you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions, feel free to safely quit your job, grab a hoodie, and head to startup land. If just reading the first question made you feel a little queasy, do yourself a favor and stick with a big company. Offer to go to SXSW, host a hackathon and help build their "corporate innovation lab" to get your fix instead...your family, your bank account and your future self will thank you.Hope this helps! Enjoy the rest of the newsletter and have a great weekend!XOXODave