Are you a Start-Up GUY?

Now-a-days many of us want to work with the next happening start-up. The equation here is

“They’re cool” + “Good fun at work” + “Founded by creative, passionate people” + “out-of-the-box ideas” and of course the opportunity to earn loads of money…

I have met many people in my last 11 year career, many of them were exceptionally talented and very good at their work but

– Surely lack the passion to run/work in a start-up

– Don’t want to try anything new, not ready to take risk, resistant about change

– Want to work at a specific and defined work time

– Love to follow loads of set protocols and like to lead a balanced life at work…

The above are definitely not called a Start-Up guy. At best they can meet some pre-defined objectives in life and ensure the KPI’s are green in their appraisal sheet…

Those of us are associated/have been associated directly or indirectly with a start-up, know it’s a  “passion”, which means more than the regulation hours, off the route journey, uneven pitch to pad up, doing undone things, practice unknown things and so on.

While working in a start-up is also often sitting on a chamber of fire…

You will be expected to dive right into the work the very 1^st day with very little / no training or direction. You will be given a free hand to knock the CEO’s cabin every now and then to discuss/argue/counter everything to ensure the Project is on track…

“Figuring out the right trick” is the mantra, no matter how and who stands in between…

Being surprised I sometimes ask myself – am I a jack-of-all-trades? At startups, resources are limited and challenges are more, so you have to be ready to wear multiple hats of odd shapes and colors.

A startup is not a place which came into existence yesterday or because of its size and equity. It’s a human enterprise built with unconventional thought process and with lot of let goes.

Sounds Crazy!!!

Pull up your sleeves; tighten up your waist belt, take a brisk walk and think Mr. STARTUP – are you ready for it?

Here you don’t have that elegant business card with you / the fashionable designation or your highly ornamented past of working with a glorious company, the pantry for which is bigger than the size of the Start-up you recently signed . Everything is straight and exposed.

The reality is that, most start-ups aren’t glamorous and it’s not for most people.

Hold your nerves for a minute; don’t rush to any conclusion…

If you join a start-up because “it’s a start-up” then you’re joining for the wrong reason. Joining a Start-up means you are a part of the mission and the revolution because the people around you believe in the cause and they can’t have one soldier in the army with halfhearted spirit to solve the problem.

If you do that, and are passionate about the mission check these within yourself:

• Can you help others / Can you help yourself
• Will you learn/ Willing to learn
• Do you have an interest for doing everything
• Do you stand up for anything?

And above all can you mess and get things done ?

If answer for all of them is “yes”, probably you are ready for the Start-up journey. If you’re selecting a company on simply perks, payout, flexible working hours, or stability then you’re not ready for a start-up because you’re not ready for the change, not fine with the uncertainty in life and joining a small company isn’t going to solve that problem.

I believe all of these come from within, the love and the passion for doing things.

You need to be passionate about the idea. So passionate that you’re willing to make it your number one priority for as long as the company survives. You need to be so passionate that you’ll fight for it till death when your friends, family, neighbors, near and far ones are telling you that you’re heading towards failure.

The key here is not about “success”, it’s only about the “attitude” – We call it a START-UP…