Working for a Start-up – It’s different..

Today it’s more than 1.5 years since I’ve joined Komli - first Indian startup that's building a real time performance Ad platform for SEA markets. I was just ruminating over the last 1.5 years I spent in Komli and analyzing my growth as a professional. My learning curve in this startup environment was much steeper than I had while working for much mature organizations like Microsoft and Rediff.com. Some of the clear cut benefits I experienced while working for a startup are mentioned below.

1. Intense learning – In most start-ups, products are built from scratch and employees joins in at an early stage. Hence they get to participate in the basic design details, cutting edge technology evaluations and decisions, market and customer study exercises, business model & strategy brainstorming sessions etc. etc.
2. Playing multiple roles – Generally in start-ups, every individual have to play multiple roles and take lot more responsibilities. This really provides a lot more exposure to any professional and helps in his/her overall growth.
3. Decision Making – Start-ups provides a perfect environment to make your own decisions. People completely own their area of work and makes most of the decisions themselves with minimal external interference.
4. Fast paced culture – The best part about startups is that there are hardly any processes like one finds in big organizations that at times really kills productivity and also reduces speed of execution. Decisions are made fast and execution is better. Total focus is on delivery.
5. Fast professional growth - People grow faster professionally and take up bigger responsibilities much earlier in their career. Also in start-ups the organization structure is mostly flat and there is hardly 3-4 level hierarchy.
6. Network better – In start-ups one can network with smarter people – the likes of CEOs/CTOs/VPs/ Architects etc. These will mostly be the folks who’ll going to lead big organizations in future.
7. Significant Impact- Each individual in a start-up owns good chunk of responsibility and hence can clearly the see the deep impact made by his/her contributions in the organization. It gives immense satisfaction and confidence to any individual.
8. Fun at work – Start-ups are like small families where people work really close with each other and have no unnecessary corporate rules and regulations binding them. So it’s a more fun culture.
9. High risk high gain game – Start-ups always have high adrenaline atmosphere where people takes much higher risks and also get better gains. People own good part of the company in form of stocks/equity and hence grows as the company grows.