Working at a startup is overrated, both financially and emotionally
What is success? The article assumes for the most part that success is mainly monetary, and further it makes the classic mistake of comparing success monetarily to companies like Facebook. Success is different depending on many factors.  For example, if a person needs or likes guidance and structure, a startup is likely not a good fit, especially when they are inexperienced. There are some good points about the strong community in startups and how it can be used to encourage excessive work hours and lower pay. However, that same community feeling and sense of purpose is what I remember fondest from working at startups. In addition, startups give you access to other capable and driven people that you might create a startup of your own with … much less likely at a large company full of risk-averse employees who work on a small piece of the company’s “mission”.<p>What personality type are you? The author likely comes from a structured, religious background and prefers the “certainty” of a corporate environment.  Some of us were raised by hippies with little or no religion and high structure. People like that are miserable in highly structured environments in which gaining a sense of the “mission” is impossible.<p>The main point here is that career decisions are highly personal and one person’s hell is another person’s heaven.