What appeals to me about startups is being part of the “becoming” of something. Becoming is always more interesting than became. There’s a personal reward to be found in helping define, shape, and grow something. If seeing your thumbprint on a company matters to you, then startups may be an attractive career. I didn’t go into startups thinking about this aspect of the reward, nor did I realize that long after an exit, there emerges an incredibly deep connection with the people who left their thumbprint alongside yours—but these deeply personal experiences are very much part of the startup
...more
