Went To A Start-Up

jyl · jyl's Garage

Quit my job on Friday, picked up my personal things this morning, at 9AM started my new job with a start-up company. Spent the day with the 3 other guys figuring out work responsibilities, systems setup, workflow, getting the computers running, etc. Interesting times, its gonna be :-)

stomachmonkey · 10-23-2006, 05:18 PM

Good luck. Start ups are for those with balls. I personally love the environment. You can actually accomplish something even if the venture fails.

Scott

dd74 · 10-23-2006, 05:21 PM

Best of luck. All the start-ups I worked for failed tremendously. DEN was one of the start-ups I worked with. DEN was a joke - a sort of a television network broadcast across T1 lines. It was run by a few ex-Hollywood execs who had no concept of what entertainment was. Terrible stuff.

At least you're getting in on the ground floor. You'll have more ability to control whether the company ascends to being bought out, or decends to the ground.

With three other guys, how could your voice not be heard.

So, did they make you sign a confidentiality agreement?

legion · 10-23-2006, 05:25 PM

Life is very good when a startup is doing well.

Life can be a living hell when they are in the process of dying a slow, prolonged death.

I had a friend spend two years with a startup. It was great at first. Then he realized they were continuously asking him to add features to the product to intentionally delay the release. The managers realized they had nothing and were delaying facing the music with the venture capitalists.

Hopefully, you've picked one that will take you far!

dd74 · 10-23-2006, 05:34 PM

It's a flashback to the booming '90s. I remember the story of two college co-eds who left school to run a little on-line skin product venture. They were multi-millionaires at about 22 or 23.

Talk about a matter of if I coulda' woulda' shoulda'...

jyl · jyl's Garage

This is very much not a booming 90s type of startup. We're starting an asset management company. Major financial backer, a sober business plan, four guys who have together been in the business for 30+ years, etc. No chance of quick wealth but if fortune smiles, some chance of growing financial rewards over time. If fortune doesn't smile, well, there's enough downside protection that I won't starve for at least the next three years.

dd74 · 10-23-2006, 07:26 PM

Good to hear, John. I was fixing to put dibs on your '89 if things didn't work out.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Ah, such are PP friends :-)

turbo6bar · 10-23-2006, 07:45 PM

I'll take the 3.2 if you part it out, dd.

Wish you the best of luck, john. I hope you find the new venture challenging and rewarding.
Regards,
jurgen

Jim Richards · 10-23-2006, 07:46 PM

Congrats John. Just remember to put a cover sheet on all your TPS's.

cantdrv55 · 10-23-2006, 09:08 PM

Congrats John. I hope it works out well for you. Keep the '89 away for these vultures

livi · 10-24-2006, 12:52 AM

What´s a start up ?

Tishabet · 10-24-2006, 04:53 AM

I've been through three, and I'm with #4 now. If this is your first...welcome to the club!

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Good luck with your (ad)venture! Do you need a sharp IT guy?

targa911S · 10-24-2006, 08:39 AM

I have done a few start ups. They are a lot of fun, combined with a lot of sleepless nights and hard work. The fun part is that you really control your destiny. Then they fail...a lot learned, and a great biz experience. They are risky though...don't invest any of your money if you can avoid it. Good Luck! Have fun!

cantdrv55 · 10-27-2006, 10:38 PM

I was a field service manager for a start-up co repairing MRI machines nationwide. That was the longest one-and-a-half years of my life. I worked my butt off for very little money in comparison to the crazy hours I kept. I missed my son's 3rd birthday party because the owners sent me on a business trip on the day of party - Sunday.

A year after I left, the co filed for bankruptcy.