HACKER Q&A
📣 confusedswe

Should I Take a Risk?


I’m 22, a new grad, and recently joined a startup as my first full-time job. I’m struggling: I don’t like my work, and the founder’s attitude towards me and the team feels disrespectful and demotivating. The culture isn’t what I hoped for, and I’m finding it hard to stay motivated.

I’ve always wanted to try building something of my own, and my family advises me that now is the best time—no financial burdens, no dependents, and I live at home with family support. My family is also happy to fund my ventures. But I’m doubtful:

- Will I “waste” a year or two and hurt my career prospects if my ventures don't work out? - Is it better to stick it out and get more experience first, or just take the leap while I have the safety net? My safety net would essentially last only upto a year and a half or two years.

For those who’ve been in a similar situation—leaving a job you dislike to start something on your own—what did you do? What do you wish you’d done differently? Any advice on making this decision, or about how it turned out for you, would be really appreciated.

Footnote: My current work env is really demoralizing, like struggling to wake up in the morning to go in, and I am scared of my founder and being transparent.

  👤 GianFabien Accepted Answer ✓
Toxic environments are the worst. It is only years later you start to recognize the signs of the full extent of damage they have caused.

Since you have your family's emotional and financial support. JUMP SHIP!

You might have disillusioned co-workers and former class-mates who could be co-founders. Before you go any further please read https://steveblank.com/books-for-startups/ Steve's guidance will save you years of going down blind alleys.

👤 rzzzwilson
Learn what you can from your current situation, even if it's what NOT to do. If you have a safety net you can change jobs earlier. But if you don't change you can get invaluable experience by trying to motivate the team and defend them from the upper management. The founder's attitude to you personally shouldn't matter too much to you, it's not your problem. Just stay true to yourself and say what you think on technical matters. In similar situations I made an undated resignation letter and kept it in a drawer. That helped me put difficult situations into perspective

I've been in similar situations twice, but I was a senior developer, not quite the same thing. In one I just quit after 18 months of a deteriorating situation because I had run out of any hope of improvement. In the other I found a consuming outside interest to take my mind off the work situation, and didn't renew my contract when the time came.

👤 sherdil2022
You must have read these quotes or wise-sayings already:

* You will miss all the shots you don't take.

* You will learn more from your failures & mistakes than your successes.

* Magic happens outside your comfort zone!

Life is short. Don't work with toxic people or toxic work environments. It is like death by thousand cuts.

Let me know if you want to reach out to me.

👤 idw
If you're going to start something, you need to be running to it not running from something else.

Running your own thing can be great but will be hard. The culture may well not be what you hoped for, and you may well find it hard to stay motivated. The team may well feel disrespectful and demotivating. You may not even like the founder’s attitude towards you before too long.

Personal opinion, worth what you paid for it.

👤 commandersaki
Build something on the side and if it gains traction then consider quitting your job. Meanwhile you should also be looking elsewhere.
👤 JojoFatsani
Dude you’re 22. You can do whatever you want and bounce back fine. Many careers don’t take off in earnest til age 30 anyway for example.