5 Things No One Tells You About Working at a Startup

5 Things No One Tells You About Working at a Startup

I’ve been working at a startup</a> now for nearly 10 months. This is a long enough span of time to carry and birth a child, and in many ways, it feels just like that. You are creating and co-parenting a company and that&#39;s both amazing and terrifying.</p>

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1. Say goodbye to sleep.</b></h2>

I don&#39;t sleep</a> anymore. Well, I do engage in the act of sleeping but I dream about work and I have nightmares about work. I now keep a notebook by my bed in case I wake up with a great idea or think of a way to solve a problem. I think the only thing that keeps me on my feet during the day is pure adrenaline.</p>

2. Get ready to be a nomad.</b></h2>

Our office is&nbsp;small and cramped, and we share an&nbsp;open space with some other startups. I gave up my desk about a month ago. I am &quot;free range,&quot; which at first is frustrating when you must carry your laptop and bag around all day, but then is oddly freeing when you suddenly realize anywhere can be your office. I&#39;ve embraced it.</p>

Related: 50 Rules for Being a Great Leader</a></b></p>

3. Learn to fail fast and move on. </b></h2>

I am afraid of failure</a>,&nbsp;but I am learning quickly to get over that. We launch a thousand ships daily, and sadly many will sink. I am the type of person to obsess over my mistakes, but here in startup land, I don&#39;t have the time to dwell. A boss once told me, &quot;May all of your mistakes be little mistakes you can learn from.&quot;&nbsp;That&#39;s what I am trying to do now. Make sure my mistakes don&#39;t cost the company too much money</a> and make sure the solutions I find are invaluable.</p>

4. Ever ride a roller coaster? It&#39;s like that emotionally.</b></h2>

No day is the same and every day has its ups and downs. You learn to weather the storm, but like New England weather, my mood or outlook can change in a minute. As soon as we work on one idea, we suddenly need to learn to pivot. The speed and intensity can take a toll. There&#39;s rarely time to rest and reflect. We just keep moving and if you don&#39;t figure out self-care, you will crash.</p>

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5. In a minute, you can move mountains.</b></h2>

I have never accomplished more in such a short time span in my life. From idea </a>to execution, it&#39;s been amazing what we have been able to do. Despite all the exhaustion and frustration, I know we are onto something.</p>

If you are to be successful, you need to know yourself. Can you live with such constant influx and uncertainty?</p>

Startup life may not be for everyone. It&#39;s been a challenge for me to adjust to it. But, for now, I can&#39;t imagine life any other way.</p>

Working at a startup isn&#39;t about knowing the future, it&#39;s about creating it.</p>

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Published at Wed, 20 Sep 2017 14:45:00 +0000