Enabling EdTech. Empowering Education.
Enabling EdTech. Empowering Education.
You’ve determined what role(s) you’re pursuing, but the decision-making process isn’t finished. You’ll have to figure out if you want to join a start-up or growth phase company or if you’ll choose a more established company, sometimes called incumbents.
Think of it like choosing between a new restaurant and a tried-and-true favorite. You can be adventurous and take a gamble on the new bistro with a daily rotating menu or you can go to the gastropub that you know has things that you love. Each choice has pros and cons – it’s up to you to decide which you’ll choose.
You’ve determined what role(s) you’re pursuing, but the decision-making process isn’t finished. You’ll have to figure out if you want to join a start-up or growth phase company or if you’ll choose a more established company, sometimes called incumbents.
Think of it like choosing between a new restaurant and a tried-and-true favorite. You can be adventurous and take a gamble on the new bistro with a daily rotating menu or you can go to the gastropub that you know has things that you love. Each choice has pros and cons – it’s up to you to decide which you’ll choose.
You’ve determined what role(s) you’re pursuing, but the decision-making process isn’t finished. You’ll have to figure out if you want to join a start-up or growth phase company or if you’ll choose a more established company, sometimes called incumbents.
Think of it like choosing between a new restaurant and a tried-and-true favorite. You can be adventurous and take a gamble on the new bistro with a daily rotating menu or you can go to the gastropub that you know has things that you love. Each choice has pros and cons – it’s up to you to decide which you’ll choose.
Pros
In my experience at start-ups, this is one of the most attractive features. Because of smaller team size, individuals are allowed and even encouraged to work across several departments and tend to form tight bonds across the company. With fewer layers of leadership, team members in entry level or non-executive leadership roles tend to have a greater voice in terms of policy and road mapping.
Pros
Established companies tend to have more structure, order, and bureaucracy. This means that individuals are more likely to have clear boundaries for what they are and are not tackling in their role. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals looking to gain skills and experience in specific areas or within certain role tracks.
Pros
In my experience at start-ups, this is one of the most attractive features. Because of smaller team size, individuals are allowed and even encouraged to work across several departments and tend to form tight bonds across the company. With fewer layers of leadership, team members in entry level or non-executive leadership roles tend to have a greater voice in terms of policy and road mapping.
Pros
Established companies tend to have more structure, order, and bureaucracy. This means that individuals are more likely to have clear boundaries for what they are and are not tackling in their role. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals looking to gain skills and experience in specific areas or within certain role tracks.
Start-Up Pros
In my experience at start-ups, this is one of the most attractive features. Because of smaller team size, individuals are allowed and even encouraged to work across several departments and tend to form tight bonds across the company. With fewer layers of leadership, team members in entry level or non-executive leadership roles tend to have a greater voice in terms of policy and road mapping.
Established Company Pros
Established companies tend to have more structure, order, and bureaucracy. This means that individuals are more likely to have clear boundaries for what they are and are not tackling in their role. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals looking to gain skills and experience in specific areas or within certain role tracks.
Cons
It’s incredibly easy to take on too much and become burnt out. For those individuals who struggle with knowing something critical is going undone, there can be a sense of guilt when saying no or that you’re letting someone else suffer as a result of not taking no additional projects.
Cons
Individuals tend to have less autonomy in larger companies with a greater emphasis on “staying in your lane”. Ultimately this makes sense – there are already teams built out to tackle discrete segments of the business.
Cons
It’s incredibly easy to take on too much and become burnt out. For those individuals who struggle with knowing something critical is going undone, there can be a sense of guilt when saying no or that you’re letting someone else suffer as a result of not taking no additional projects.
Cons
Individuals tend to have less autonomy in larger companies with a greater emphasis on “staying in your lane”. Ultimately this makes sense – there are already teams built out to tackle discrete segments of the business.
Start-Up Cons
It’s incredibly easy to take on too much and become burnt out. For those individuals who struggle with knowing something critical is going undone, there can be a sense of guilt when saying no or that you’re letting someone else suffer as a result of not taking no additional projects.
Established Company Cons
Individuals tend to have less autonomy in larger companies with a greater emphasis on “staying in your lane”. Ultimately this makes sense – there are already teams built out to tackle discrete segments of the business.
Pros
Start ups can fall all over the place in terms of pay and benefits. Ultimately, depending on seed funding or capital raising efforts, starts-ups may pay better than average but will often have lower than average medical benefits. To off set, some start-ups may offer equity or professional growth plans.
Paid time off is also kind of a toss-up with start-ups. Sometimes it’s great – other times it’s awful. That primarily depends on company culture.
Pros
Most of the time, established companies have better built out medical, dental, and vision plans. They also tend to have more generous PTO or even DTO (discretionary time off, which is essentially unlimited PTO).
Pros
Start ups can fall all over the place in terms of pay and benefits. Ultimately, depending on seed funding or capital raising efforts, starts-ups may pay better than average but will often have lower than average medical benefits. To off set, some start-ups may offer equity or professional growth plans.
Paid time off is also kind of a toss-up with start-ups. Sometimes it’s great – other times it’s awful. That primarily depends on company culture.
Pros
Most of the time, established companies have better built out medical, dental, and vision plans. They also tend to have more generous PTO or even DTO (discretionary time off, which is essentially unlimited PTO).
Start-Up Pros
Start-ups can fall all over the place in terms of pay and benefits. Ultimately, depending on seed funding or capital raising efforts, start-ups may pay better than average but will often have lower-than-average medical benefits. To offset this, some start-ups may offer equity or professional growth plans.
Paid time off is also kind of a toss-up with start-ups. Sometimes it’s great – other times it’s awful. That primarily depends on company culture.
Established Company Pros
Most of the time, established companies have better built-out medical, dental, and vision plans. They also tend to have more generous PTO or even DTO (discretionary time off, which is essentially unlimited PTO).
Cons
Medical benefits can be a major sticking point, especially when having to source insurance privately. Also, if the start-up is bootstrapped or poorly resourced financially, salaries may not be commiserate with industry average.
Cons
There is almost zero chance of company equity – that’s already been determined way before you got hired. There is also less opportunity to negotiate favorable changes to benefits, PTO, or other quality of life improvements.
Cons
Medical benefits can be a major sticking point, especially when having to source insurance privately. Also, if the start-up is bootstrapped or poorly resourced financially, salaries may not be commiserate with industry average.
Cons
There is almost zero chance of company equity – that’s already been determined way before you got hired. There is also less opportunity to negotiate favorable changes to benefits, PTO, or other quality of life improvements.
Start-Up Cons
Medical benefits can be a major sticking point, especially when having to source insurance privately. Also, if the start-up is bootstrapped or poorly resourced financially, salaries may not be commiserate with industry average.
Established Company Cons
There is almost zero chance of company equity – that’s already been determined way before you got hired. There is also less opportunity to negotiate favorable changes to benefits, PTO, or other quality of life improvements.
Pros
Most start-ups don’t have enough of a regional or national presence to have a distinct reputation yet – unless they’re doing something really well or really wrong. That means that you have the ability to contribute to that reputation and build it along with your team members.
Pros
Established companies often already have a reputation within their industry. It takes a major positive or negative event to shift that perception.
Pros
Most start-ups don’t have enough of a regional or national presence to have a distinct reputation yet – unless they’re doing something really well or really wrong. That means that you have the ability to contribute to that reputation and build it along with your team members.
Pros
Established companies often already have a reputation within their industry. It takes a major positive or negative event to shift that perception.
Start Up Pros
Most start-ups don’t have enough of a regional or national presence to have a distinct reputation yet – unless they’re doing something really well or really wrong. That means that you have the ability to contribute to that reputation and build it along with your team members.
Established Company Pros
Established companies often already have a reputation within their industry. It takes a major positive or negative event to shift that perception.
Cons
Because start-ups tend to not have an established reputation, building the brand is an uphill journey. Without that recognition, getting into districts and in with large organizations is a challenge
Cons
Because of the established reputation, it can be a daunting, and sometimes herculean, task to improve a company’s marketplace presence.
This is equally true for attracting high quality talent. If the brand has a reputation for over working and under paying employees, it can be a long time (with improved practices) before that trickles into the job market and candidates are aware of positive changes.
Cons
Because start-ups tend to not have an established reputation, building the brand is an uphill journey. Without that recognition, getting into districts and in with large organizations is a challenge
Cons
Because of the established reputation, it can be a daunting, and sometimes herculean, task to improve a company’s marketplace presence.
This is equally true for attracting high quality talent. If the brand has a reputation for over working and under paying employees, it can be a long time (with improved practices) before that trickles into the job market and candidates are aware of positive changes.
Start-Up Cons
Because start-ups tend to not have an established reputation, building the brand is an uphill journey. Without that recognition, getting into districts and in with large organizations is a challenge
Established Company Cons
Because of the established reputation, it can be a daunting, and sometimes herculean, task to improve a company’s marketplace presence.
This is equally true for attracting high quality talent. If the brand has a reputation for over working and under paying employees, it can be a long time (with improved practices) before that trickles into the job market and candidates are aware of positive changes.
Pros
Many start-ups have flexible working conditions and offer remote or hybrid positions more regularly. Start-ups are also typically more adaptable and can pivot quickly to market demands and trends, primarily because of the lack of red tape and levels of hierarchy.
Start-ups also tend to have flexibility in role responsibilities meaning that despite a given job description you may have the opportunity to explore projects and areas outside of your original responsibilities.
Pros
Established companies typically have more formalized decision-making processes, which may involve multiple levels of leadership, layers of approval, and stakeholders. This can help ensure that decisions are aligned with company goals and are the most strategically advantageous.
In terms of responsibilities, most established companies have hired and trained enough people within a position to have a handle on what needs to be included in the job description for that individual to be successful. In my time at established companies, I was rarely asked to step outside my role to support.
Pros
Many start-ups have flexible working conditions and offer remote or hybrid positions more regularly. Start-ups are also typically more adaptable and can pivot quickly to market demands and trends, primarily because of the lack of red tape and levels of hierarchy.
Start-ups also tend to have flexibility in role responsibilities meaning that despite a given job description you may have the opportunity to explore projects and areas outside of your original responsibilities.
Pros
Established companies typically have more formalized decision-making processes, which may involve multiple levels of leadership, layers of approval, and stakeholders. This can help ensure that decisions are aligned with company goals and are the most strategically advantageous.
In terms of responsibilities, most established companies have hired and trained enough people within a position to have a handle on what needs to be included in the job description for that individual to be successful. In my time at established companies, I was rarely asked to step outside my role to support.
Start-Up Pros
Many start-ups have flexible working conditions and offer remote or hybrid positions more regularly. Start-ups are also typically more adaptable and can pivot quickly to market demands and trends, primarily because of the lack of red tape and levels of hierarchy.
Start-ups also tend to have flexibility in role responsibilities meaning that despite a given job description you may have the opportunity to explore projects and areas outside of your original responsibilities.
Established Company Pros
Established companies typically have more formalized decision-making processes, which may involve multiple levels of leadership, layers of approval, and stakeholders. This can help ensure that decisions are aligned with company goals and are the most strategically advantageous.
In terms of responsibilities, most established companies have hired and trained enough people within a position to have a handle on what needs to be included in the job description for that individual to be successful. In my time at established companies, I was rarely asked to step outside my role to support.
Cons
Start-ups can get trapped in an echo chamber of change where an unsustainable amount of change can be seen as good and healthy. People tend to use the idea that the company is a start-up to justify “failing fast” or acting without logic or data.
Additionally, you may be expected to support outside of your original job description, again based on the “lean start-up” mentality where keeping staff and vendor resources to a minimum is seen as the fiscally sound approach, regardless of what that means for the existing team members.
Cons
Alternatively, because of the larger numbers of groups involved in decision-making, turn around on improvements or pivots can be slow and may put larger companies at a disadvantage when considering sharp market turns or other relevant events.
Given a known and set responsibility list, you may struggle to get any visibility into other roles and departments within the organization. In some instances, collaboration is seen as a “nice when possible” but not a “necessary”.
Cons
Start-ups can get trapped in an echo chamber of change where an unsustainable amount of change can be seen as good and healthy. People tend to use the idea that the company is a start-up to justify “failing fast” or acting without logic or data.
Additionally, you may be expected to support outside of your original job description, again based on the “lean start-up” mentality where keeping staff and vendor resources to a minimum is seen as the fiscally sound approach, regardless of what that means for the existing team members.
Cons
Alternatively, because of the larger numbers of groups involved in decision-making, turn around on improvements or pivots can be slow and may put larger companies at a disadvantage when considering sharp market turns or other relevant events.
Given a known and set responsibility list, you may struggle to get any visibility into other roles and departments within the organization. In some instances, collaboration is seen as a “nice when possible” but not a “necessary”.
Start-Up Cons
Start-ups can get trapped in an echo chamber of change where an unsustainable amount of change can be seen as good and healthy. People tend to use the idea that the company is a start-up to justify “failing fast” or acting without logic or data.
Additionally, you may be expected to support outside of your original job description, again based on the “lean start-up” mentality where keeping staff and vendor resources to a minimum is seen as the fiscally sound approach, regardless of what that means for the existing team members.
Established Company Cons
Alternatively, because of the larger numbers of groups involved in decision-making, turnaround on improvements or pivots can be slow and may put larger companies at a disadvantage when considering sharp market turns or other relevant events.
Given a known and set responsibility list, you may struggle to get any visibility into other roles and departments within the organization. In some instances, collaboration is seen as “nice when possible” but not “necessary”.
Pros
Start-ups can be a fabulous place to learn new skills. You can often support divisions that you wouldn’t have had access to at a more established company, gaining valuable insight and business understanding.
Pros
Established companies usually have established professional development and career growth plans, i.e. you go from an associate to a senior associate, to a manager role, etc.
Pros
Start-ups can be a fabulous place to learn new skills. You can often support divisions that you wouldn’t have had access to at a more established company, gaining valuable insight and business understanding.
Pros
Established companies usually have established professional development and career growth plans, i.e. you go from an associate to a senior associate, to a manager role, etc.
Start-Up Pros
Start-ups can be a fabulous place to learn new skills. You can often support divisions that you wouldn’t have had access to at a more established company, gaining valuable insight and business understanding.
Established Company Pros
Established companies usually have established professional development and career growth plans, i.e. you go from an associate to a senior associate, to a manager role, etc.
Cons
There is often little to no professional development programming and much of the growth you’ll experience will come from projects and on-the-job learning rather than from coordinated onboarding or prescribed courses.
Cons
Professional development is usually fairly scripted, meaning you’ll take a certain set of courses for a desired outcome. This is also usually aimed at growing in your given role. It’s not typically geared at developing in other areas. It also may not allow you to participate in professional development opportunities that fall outside of the company determined learnings.
Cons
There is often little to no professional development programming and much of the growth you’ll experience will come from projects and on-the-job learning rather than from coordinated onboarding or prescribed courses.
Cons
Professional development is usually fairly scripted, meaning you’ll take a certain set of courses for a desired outcome. This is also usually aimed at growing in your given role. It’s not typically geared at developing in other areas. It also may not allow you to participate in professional development opportunities that fall outside of the company determined learnings.
Start-Up Cons
There is often little to no professional development programming and much of the growth you’ll experience will come from projects and on-the-job learning rather than from coordinated onboarding or prescribed courses.
Established Company Cons
Professional development is usually fairly scripted, meaning you’ll take a certain set of courses for a desired outcome. This is also usually aimed at growing in your given role. It’s not typically geared at developing in other areas. It also may not allow you to participate in professional development opportunities that fall outside of the company determined learnings.
Pros
Within a start-up individual contributors tend to have the ability to have a larger impact on the company culture, structure, and visioning. You may also have an opportunity to have a greater impact on the current customers of a start-up, particularly if you occupy a cross-functional space within the organization.
Pros
Established companies often have a larger impact on the industry ecosystem as a whole. They can be influential in setting industry norms and best practices. Incumbents can, on occasion, even influence politics.
Pros
Within a start-up individual contributors tend to have the ability to have a larger impact on the company culture, structure, and visioning. You may also have an opportunity to have a greater impact on the current customers of a start-up, particularly if you occupy a cross-functional space within the organization.
Pros
Established companies often have a larger impact on the industry ecosystem as a whole. They can be influential in setting industry norms and best practices. Incumbents can, on occasion, even influence politics.
Start-Up Pros
Within a start-up individual contributors tend to have the ability to have a larger impact on the company culture, structure, and visioning. You may also have an opportunity to have a greater impact on the current customers of a start-up, particularly if you occupy a cross-functional space within the organization.
Established Company Pros
Established companies often have a larger impact on the industry ecosystem as a whole. They can be influential in setting industry norms and best practices. Incumbents can, on occasion, even influence politics.
Cons
With limited reach, impact on larger audiences can be difficult to achieve thereby making individuals feel as though they aren’t doing “as much” good as they’d like.
Cons
In terms of intra-company impact, individual contributors and even managers often have little power. Because of the volume of individuals within an established company and the bulk of decisions being made at the top-most tier, a handful of individuals within the company ultimately have true impact on company direction, industry standard setting, etc.
Cons
With limited reach, impact on larger audiences can be difficult to achieve thereby making individuals feel as though they aren’t doing “as much” good as they’d like.
Cons
In terms of intra-company impact, individual contributors and even managers often have little power. Because of the volume of individuals within an established company and the bulk of decisions being made at the top-most tier, a handful of individuals within the company ultimately have true impact on company direction, industry standard setting, etc.
Start-Up Cons
With limited reach, impact on larger audiences can be difficult to achieve thereby making individuals feel as though they aren’t doing “as much” good as they’d like.
Established Company Cons
In terms of intra-company impact, individual contributors and even managers often have little power. Because of the volume of individuals within an established company and the bulk of decisions being made at the top-most tier, a handful of individuals within the company ultimately have true impact on company direction, industry standard setting, etc.
Pros
If you join a start-up that survives some major time-line hurdles, you have the opportunity to be part of the founding or executive leadership team of a thriving company. You also may end up with a sizeable buyout if the company is acquired.
Pros
Established companies tend not to go out of business. They understand their market and have essentially cracked the code to making profit and successful gains year over year. While these companies still lay people off, it is unlikely that you’ll ever be part of an established company that truly folds.
Pros
If you join a start-up that survives some major time-line hurdles, you have the opportunity to be part of the founding or executive leadership team of a thriving company. You also may end up with a sizeable buyout if the company is acquired.
Pros
Established companies tend not to go out of business. They understand their market and have essentially cracked the code to making profit and successful gains year over year. While these companies still lay people off, it is unlikely that you’ll ever be part of an established company that truly folds.
Start-Up Pros
If you join a start-up that survives some major time-line hurdles, you have the opportunity to be part of the founding or executive leadership team of a thriving company. You also may end up with a sizeable buyout if the company is acquired.
Established Company Pros
Established companies tend not to go out of business. They understand their market and have essentially cracked the code to making profit and successful gains year over year. While these companies still lay people off, it is unlikely that you’ll ever be part of an established company that truly folds.
Cons
Start-ups are volatile. According to research by a variety of sources, 20% of new businesses don’t survive to their second birthday. Also, 75% of American start-ups go under in the first 15 years. Those are sobering statistics.
Cons
Established companies don’t offer the significant growth and monetary gain that you find in a successful start-up. If an established company is acquired, very few people with the exception of C-Suite leadership typically, benefit from that purchase.
Cons
Start-ups are volatile. According to research by a variety of sources, 20% of new businesses don’t survive to their second birthday. Also, 75% of American start-ups go under in the first 15 years. Those are sobering statistics.
Cons
Established companies don’t offer the significant growth and monetary gain that you find in a successful start-up. If an established company is acquired, very few people with the exception of C-Suite leadership typically, benefit from that purchase.
Start-Up Cons
Start-ups are volatile. According to research by a variety of sources, 20% of new businesses don’t survive to their second birthday. Also, 75% of American start-ups go under in the first 15 years. Those are sobering statistics.
Established Company Cons
Established companies don’t offer the significant growth and monetary gain that you find in a successful start-up. If an established company is acquired, very few people with the exception of C-Suite leadership typically, benefit from that purchase.
When considering whether or not start-ups or established companies are a good fit for you, your working style, and your professional aspirations – there is no right answer.
Your thoughts and feelings now about one model vs. the other may change as your life circumstances evolve, the market changes, or as you determine what kind of role(s) are the best use of your talents. And there’s no reason you can’t vacillate between the two during your professional career.
It’s important to remember that start-ups and established companies aren’t diametrically opposed – it’s really more of a spectrum with some companies embodying a mix of the models.
Ultimately, people gravitate toward a particular model because of their working preferences, risk appetite, professional growth plans, and personal feelings of security and satisfaction.
When considering whether or not start-ups or established companies are a good fit for you, your working style, and your professional aspirations – there is no right answer.
Your thoughts and feelings now about one model vs. the other may change as your life circumstances evolve, the market changes, or as you determine what kind of role(s) are the best use of your talents. And there’s no reason you can’t vacillate between the two during your professional career.
It’s important to remember that start-ups and established companies aren’t diametrically opposed – it’s really more of a spectrum with some companies embodying a mix of the models.
Ultimately, people gravitate toward a particular model because of their working preferences, risk appetite, professional growth plans, and personal feelings of security and satisfaction.
When considering whether or not start-ups or established companies are a good fit for you, your working style, and your professional aspirations – there is no right answer.
Your thoughts and feelings now about one model vs. the other may change as your life circumstances evolve, the market changes, or as you determine what kind of role(s) are the best use of your talents. And there’s no reason you can’t vacillate between the two during your professional career.
It’s important to remember that start-ups and established companies aren’t diametrically opposed – it’s really more of a spectrum with some companies embodying a mix of the models.
Ultimately, people gravitate toward a particular model because of their working preferences, risk appetite, professional growth plans, and personal feelings of security and satisfaction.