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I went from a 3 person startup doing low 6 figures in annual revenue to a startup in the same space that had just closed its series A. I interviewed with FAANG

I went from a 3 person startup doing low 6 figures in annual revenue to a startup in the same space that had just closed its series A. I interviewed with FAANG’s and startups in nyc and the Bay Area. I felt like my experience was valued by most companies I interviewed with, to my surprise, and many others had similar stories to mine. It felt like the right the step, like going to a version of my company that’d turned out (a lot) better. It’s been a great experience- went from senior dev to manager, and love doing both. Management allows me to wear a bunch of hats in a similar way I did as a founder, but with a safety net and much more support. My experience as a founder was extremely valuable. It made me a much better engineer and a much better leader than I could’ve been if I hadn’t done my startup. Overall, my career trajectory is better than it would’ve been otherwise, barring some stroke of luck in the corporate world. I have no regrets. It wasn’t all roses, though. For the first 18 months or so after we shut our startup down (and through my subsequent return to full time employment), I was hurting pretty bad, constantly thinking of what I could’ve done differently and still had many, many sleepless nights. It took those 18 months to really get it out of my system and move on. I still itch for the next one.

tac0_ 5y ago
> I was hurting pretty bad, constantly thinking of what I could’ve done differently and still had many, many sleepless nights. It took those 18 months to really get it out of my system and move on. Thanks for this insight. I recently made the leap to quit my tech job to build a startup. I keep telling myself that if it doesn't work out (which is the statistically likely outcome) I can at least go back to another tech job. But tbh, I'd probably also be devastated for some time. I guess if you had to do something differently for your next attempt, what would it be?
- gautamb0 5y ago
  1. Start with a problem, not a solution. And validate that you can reach customers who will pay for your solution to solve their problem, before day 1. 2. Don’t pay attention or compare yourself to other startups/potential competition. No good comes of it. 3. Recognize how large a factor luck is. This means preparing for things to go wrong, but also accepting that factors beyond your control can hugely impact the trajectory of your business.

tac0_ 5y ago

> I was hurting pretty bad, constantly thinking of what I could’ve done differently and still had many, many sleepless nights. It took those 18 months to really get it out of my system and move on. Thanks for this insight. I recently made the leap to quit my tech job to build a startup. I keep telling myself that if it doesn't work out (which is the statistically likely outcome) I can at least go back to another tech job. But tbh, I'd probably also be devastated for some time. I guess if you had to do something differently for your next attempt, what would it be?

gautamb0 5y ago
1. Start with a problem, not a solution. And validate that you can reach customers who will pay for your solution to solve their problem, before day 1. 2. Don’t pay attention or compare yourself to other startups/potential competition. No good comes of it. 3. Recognize how large a factor luck is. This means preparing for things to go wrong, but also accepting that factors beyond your control can hugely impact the trajectory of your business.