When some one invite you join his/her startup, here are some checkpoints.

I first wrote this article on Medium. I'd like to share it here.

Recently I met an old friend when me and my husband had a day trip to city nearby. He told that from time to time he received offer from startup founders to become a tech co-founder or early employee.This scenario may not be alien for you if you are a tech guy with some good experience and reputation.    

I am excited. Being a startup not in tech center like Sillicon Valley or Berlin, we have too less friends that are involved in startup industry. Yeah, you always want some "startup friends”. I could still recall the time when we just started our 1st startup, some close friend thought it foolish and questioned us: why would I shopping online from China?! or later why would I need a smartphone? And of course taking a job at a startup was a very foolish thing. 

But those days are over. Even in the middle of Europe, your grandma knows facebook. And you may keep seeing motivative stories like 18 something boy did some great startup and that startup looks like a piece of cake for you. And you may notice that people who you know start a startup and got chances to travel around, pitch on stages and appear in the media. That’s excited! and you are encourage to give a try.  

Startup is enthusiastic but still a high risk business. And there is less-structured culture and tons of hard working waiting ahead. So what are check points? How should you figure out it is right for you or not?  

A prospect mindset: Think like a investor. 

Why you need think like a investor? How to think like a investor? 

When you are joining a startup, you basically made a investment with opportunity cost. It’s your time, your health and your hardworking. And you basically don’t have much control of you investment just like other angel investors. Joining a startup may not make you a CEO. So you don’t control how you gonna to work and which task you gonna to work on. No mention the major tech decisions unless you are joining as a CTO and co-founder. You don’t control how founders, CEO would spend your “investment”.  What your basic expect is a high ROI by putting your investment to gain a higher return later.  

Research the startup like a investor.

Unlike angel investor who spending money, you are going to spend your time and effort. In another word, 70% of your time would be spent with your teammate and founders (it might be CEO but for early stage startup who is hunting for early employee, you are mostly going to work with founders). You have to research more about the culture and people you are going to work with. And most importantly the vision of the startup. Does founder have vision to bring startup to a great level or founders just search for a life style business. Here are few check points.  

1. Is it a one people founder?  

Most of investors would not invest into a 1 people founding team. Reason is easy and bold. Startup is hard work. 1 people alone is more likely to give up.  

2. What industry they are working in? What resource they have till now?  

Many factors cause the success of a startup. But stepping into a potential hot filed would increase the possibility of success. But even in a hot field, it is very important to understand that there is rare founders could harness the chance because they require resource, support and luck. Money couldn’t make everything work.    

2. Who are the founders? Do they work together for long time?  

Investor invests in team with high stability. Founders would be the 1st group of people to estimate. If founders are just randomly met recently in some events, it would take long time for themselves to know each other and set the right tone for their startup. What you need to do is to have a casual dinner with founders to listen their stories not only about work but also their life story. Will you feel good leading by their style of management?   

3. What the vision of founders? Do they work for the same direction? 

Sharing the same vision with founders would be a big + for your later work. It makes sure the unity of team and increase the possibility of success. If founders don’t have same vision to the startup, sooner or later, they would break up.  

4. Who is working there now? How do they feel?  

Try to approach to people who already work there and see how does it look like. Check their facebook or other social account. Get your 1st expression of your working environment from their point of view.  If you get chance, drink a cup of tea with some of them. You could reveal the hidden culture of the startup behind founders vision. That is the culture you live with everyday.  

Few risk and facts that you should know ahead.

Every startup is different. But there are few common facts. I want you to know: 

1. You will still have boss or even bosses. The advantage of a Startup is delivering fast with small team. It is small but complete. Like one of our early employee said: I was at that time the only employee but had 3 bosses. That’s true situation for you to consider.  

2. It is chaotic. You better don’t expect any calm down days. Startup is very dynamic from the procedure of working to your daily tasks. You should have a big and unsettled heart to take all those chaotic everyday. Like Steve Blank once said “How comfortable are you with chaos?” 

3. Check your financial status. You may not get paid in some period of time.  

4. You couldn’t just code. You need to be involved in business as well.  

5. Think like a founder, work like a pro. Or you are wasting your time.  

Last but not the least: Think rationally but follow your heart. 

After talking with founders, estimate the risks and ready to bear these facts above. If you are still feeling excited, so go for it. Always think rationally first and make decision by following your heart.