Is leaving a stable company for a startup a terrible move?

Question

Context: I work for a big company as a Data Scientist, but I'm not exactly having the time of my life, I'm not necessarily upset with it but it's meh on a good day. Now I'm supposed to be getting an offer from a startup in the next couple of weeks and don't know if I should accept it (money aside). It's in the fintech B2B space, got a bunch of good clients, only about 10 employees so far, got two branches in two countries and in the process in opening in a third. The move is kinda scary to me cause I got a lot of obligations at the moment and I guess startups are risky? Also, most startups in the US and Europe, etc. give stock options as incentive, that doesn't happen where I'm from. Any advice?

19g6vkwv03qgj · Accepted Answer

I would consider the following:- do you have a family or family obligations?- what level of craziness and uncertainty are you ok with (risk tolerance)?The latter will change depending on the stage of the startup, later stages being more stable.

eightysixer · Answer

I went to a startup in 2022 and got laid off in less than a year. I don't regret it, but I was able to jump back into a big company pretty quickly so that's easy for me to say.

Pros: you'll get to wear lots of hats. You'll have a lot of freedom over your work and the choices you make. You will generally get to work on stuff that is genuinely innovative.

Cons: risk, you need a 6+ month emergency fund, more if you have spouse/kids who depend on your income. Work life balance might suck.

My opinion: most of what attracts me to startups is the opportunity to own stock with a chance for big upside. I'd gladly take on more risk for that. However, since you say this opportunity doesn't offer stock, I would personally pass on it unless the salary is life changing amounts of money.

19g614l3kbbul1 · Answer

Well, even “big” companies are laying off. So you’re really not safe in terms of the size of the org

Idontknoweither · Answer

It can be a great opportunity. A lot of obligations normally means a lot of learning. You can significantly boost your skills and become more valuable. So even if the startup doesn’t make it, you’re gonna find your next gig easier and faster. Don’t let the golden handcuffs stop you. They’re almost always available to you if you need to switch back to working for big corps.

Is leaving a stable company for a startup a terrible move?

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