5 Reasons to work for a startup
When you join a start-up, you latch onto a sprout that you hope will rise the tallest. But it isn’t as easy as it sounds (a sprout can’t withstand the weight anyway). Some of the push factors that start-ups have in comparison to larger companies is that you’ll not be picked up by your company vehicle every day, or that you may not get as much bonus on your salary every now and then. Unlike taking up a corporate job, a start-up asks for commitment off work hours as well.
Even though the ride to the top can be bumpy (it will be bumpy), along will come with a lot of benefits that significantly outweigh the less attractive side of it. To make it clearer to you, here are 5 reasons why you should consider working for a start-up (and why it is worth all your time).
Every person counts
The team of a start-up company is tiny, and only gets larger when there is a 
need. This means that when you work for a start-up, its highly likely that no one else in the team has the same qualities that you do. As an employee, motivation is a major factor that determines the level of commitment towards the company. Being regarded as an essential member in the house can be huge boost to your motivation, unlike in larger companies where you may feel a lot less enthused because of lack of impact that you may be able to make.
While you stand out amongst the rest, these places dwell on a good social environment where you can learn many new things and pick up some traits from your fellow team members. Since no two members are alike, there is always a room of positive exchange that helps the motivation stay burning.
Discover all trades
The atmosphere of start-ups is very energetic and everything that happens there, happens fast. As you would imagine, it can be demanding to meet client deadlines with only a few people on the deck. While every deadline may sound like the perfect set-up for a disaster, it is indeed the opposite. This is where the archers discover the swordsman within them (or vice-versa).
In start-ups, you don’t need a Master’s degree from a reputed university abroad to work in your desired sector. Every day at work is an opportunity to put some experience into use, those which wouldn’t look too attractive on your résumé. For example, through your school breaks you might have meddled with Photoshop to swap faces and tried out tricks that no one might have known of. It might be at a start-up that these tricks might really come in handy. In this way, it is a great way to further understand your capabilities and your potential to change.
Built on experience, not money
Chances are that you have heard that start-up companies do not pay well. Well, inevitably and obviously so, what you heard isn’t wrong. It is true that start-ups are generally on a very tight budget, unless one of the founding team members somehow manages to win a lottery (which we don’t have here in Nepal). However, there is a silver lining to it. You’ll learn more about resource and budget management, more often without realizing it at all, and what is more – it turns out to be a life changing skill.
Even though frugality is in the Nepalese blood and we have always known to manage on be happy on what we have, the skills that you learn while working on a meager capital makes a great deal of difference. Soon enough, you will find a change on how you assess your own spending and how you can maximize your convenience and output by investing less. Putting it directly, you can learn to be chuiya (while optimizing output) by getting involved in a start-up.
You’re paving the way
Say, in a start-up, the team can fit into a car, whereas a larger company would need to hire a couple of extra buses to add to dozens of their own. In a car, the driver can hear what you have to speak loud and clear, and so will the others. However, there is a very slim chance that you can hear your own voice in a crowded bus. The point is – in a start-up, your opinions and ideas matter.
You’ll always know what’s happening when you’re in a start-up, meaning that transparency is always evident (you can’t see it but it’s there). Your suggestions will be heard and your queries will be answered. To keep it to the point, you won’t need to go past the secretary and the security to have a word with your boss.
A close-knit group
It is a spontaneous and a very elusive phenomenon that members at a start-up create great companionship amongst themselves. In time, start-up starts feeling like a group of friends meeting up to make a difference, be it one way or the other. It is this limitless fountain of energy that drives the team to move forward and be positive.
A close-knit group gives way to a great deal of flexibility regarding work. One big plus is that you aren’t required to conform to dress codes on usual workdays (don’t we all like half pants in the summer?). Being flexible can help in maintaining an open and light-hearted environment, where you can make jokes while not still keeping your job. However, this doesn’t mean that you can come in late and do as you want (you’ve been warned).
Start-ups can be a great way for you to gain experience in a way that you wouldn’t be able to obtain anywhere else. Involvement in start-ups mean more than a line in your résumé. As you work, you garner your skills on time management, communication, dealing with workload and meeting deadlines. And in turn of events, you might find the turning point of your life during your term.
When all is said and done, working at start-ups can have a positive impact on your life, teaching you to stay happy by making the most of what you have.
– Mr. Arman Bajracharya,
Former intern at Technorio
