Career Cartographers’ Post

How Can I Choose the Best Career Path Amid Startup Burnout? Answers: https://lnkd.in/gJSvin_5 #StartupStruggles #CareerChoices #EntrepreneurialJourney Hey everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to share what’s been weighing on my mind lately. I know this is a tricky situation I’m in, and I’m not really expecting anyone to hand me a clear answer, but if you’ve been in a similar boot, I’d love to hear how you approached it! So, I’ve been a CTO in the startup world for the past 8 years, and if I'm being honest, I haven’t always picked the best projects or conditions. I chased the startup dream without really crunching the numbers on feasibility. Looking back, if I had stayed in my FAANG job, I’d probably be sitting pretty financially and inching closer to my dream of financial freedom. But here’s the catch: I genuinely loved the journey, learned heaps, and enjoyed the freedom that came with it—even if it didn’t lead to greenbacks. Now I find myself at a major crossroad: about a year of runway ahead of me and a kid to care for! 🤯 Here are the three paths I’m considering: Path 1: Start a new startup. Armed with the lessons learned, I feel better equipped to ...

Last week, I caught up with an old colleague over coffee. He has spent nearly 15 years at some of the most well-known product companies globally. He's been wanting to experiment with some consumer-facing ideas for a long time but hasn't been able to due to work, family, and other responsibilities. Now, he's determined to try at least one idea in 2025 but is unsure of the execution:  1️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻?  2️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲? Being in a senior role, leaving the job comes with a high opportunity cost, especially with the current job market. If the startup fails, there's uncertainty about getting a similar role again. On the other hand, building a startup part-time is challenging—like riding two boats at once, which is inherently tough. We brainstormed both options—pros and cons—for a long time but couldn't reach a conclusion. I've never done a successful startup myself, so I wasn't sure which option is more fruitful. Both come with their risks and rewards. I've heard success and failure stories for both approaches, but I'm still not sure which execution model is right when balancing a full-time job. What are your thoughts on taking the 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝘃𝘀. 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵? I'd love to hear how others have approached this decision. Have you faced a similar crossroad? What factors helped you decide? Tag someone who might have valuable insights or share your own story below. #StartupJourney #BalancingAct #CareerDecisions #EntrepreneurshipStruggles #PartTimeStartup #CareerTransition #BusinessChallenges #SuccessMindset

#Weekend Vibes? Chill at a #Startup Instead! Hey #FutureCEOs, who's feeling the Sunday scaries already? Dreaming of a job that's more than just a paycheck? Ditch the traditional and launch yourself into the exciting world of startups! Skip the Monday blues and: Be a Changemaker! Forget tiny cogs in a giant machine. Startups are all about fresh ideas and innovation. You'll have the chance to make a REAL impact and see your work come to life! ️ Level Up Like a Boss! Startups are learning labs on steroids. You'll wear many hats, master new skills, and become a total career powerhouse! Work with Rockstars, Not Duds! Say goodbye to office zombies! Startups are filled with passionate, creative people who are just as fired up as you are. Get ready to make some EPIC connections! Ditch the Dress Code, Embrace the Beanbag! The Climb to the Top is WAY Shorter! 🪜 In a startup, there's less red tape and more opportunity to move up the ladder. 🪜 Your hard work gets noticed FAST! Basically, a startup is your chance to: ▶️Turn your wildest ideas into reality! ▶️Work with people who inspire you EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Feeling the startup spark? Let us know in the comments what kind of startup you'd LOVE to launch! #entrepreneurlife #startuplife #futureisbright #founders #careers #futureofwork Shankar Sahai

Navigating Startup Realities 💡 💡 One of my acquaintances recently joined a startup, but after just a week, they were prepared to resign. The founders expect employees to mirror their dedication, but it's important for them to realize that we're simply fulfilling our job roles. While the startup may represent their dream, if it doesn't support our personal goals, it's challenging to sustain that commitment. While the founder's involvement and oversight are crucial, effective delegation is essential for building a resilient and successful startup. It not only lightens the founder's workload but also cultivates a culture of trust, empowerment, and collective achievement within the team. I think some founders' pursuit of perfection is so extreme that they might even rewrite their grocery lists to ensure every item meets their high standards. I hear their morning mantra is 'delegate nothing, micromanage everything!' Maybe they missed the 'Management' part in their PGDM – it stands for 'People Get Demoralized by Micromanagement'!" Comment your views ?? #reality #startup #worklife #worklifebalance #culture #micromanagement #startuplife

63% of startup founders report burnout. Are you pursuing your passion or just the paycheck? For a long time, I chased success by checking all the right boxes. - Got into banking - Launched three startups - Sold them, made a decent exit On paper, everything looked great. I had built businesses from scratch: - Stinson Design - Candy Banners - TendoPay Each with its own wins. But after selling them, something didn’t sit right. I felt like I had followed the “what” and “how” of success... But I hadn’t really asked myself why I was doing it. I was building businesses because I was good at it, but was it fulfilling? Was it what I actually wanted? I realized I didn’t know. It’s easy to get caught up in achieving the next milestone, scaling your startup, hitting that $1M ARR, but if you’re not clear on your why, the grind can become empty. After stepping back, I made a shift. Now, I’m focusing on something deeper: Helping other founders in Southeast Asia: - navigate their journeys - invest in their businesses - build a thriving startup ecosystem. This is what drives me today. It’s not just about building companies anymore—it’s about building people. If you’re grinding away right now, take a moment to ask yourself: Why are you doing this? Is it aligned with what you truly want? The why is what will keep you going long after the excitement fades.

I went from being a corporate leader to a startup founder. Here’s what happened 👇 The best part was I was not starting from scratch. But I was starting from experience. With me, my corporate job had already honed a host of my skills. It taught me: - Client interaction - Time management  - Project management  - Delivering before deadlines I knew what holds a business and its structure in a solid way. I had learned the ropes of the business world. That gave me and my startup a competitive edge. Unfortunately, a lot of first-time startup founders lack this edge.   Perhaps because they've directly dived into the world of startups, there's a knowledge and experience gap. And it eventually affects their startup success. However, because my corporate experience is handy, I can guide my clients on how to navigate their business best. It's indeed a win-win situation. Not only that, it's a humbling revelation because it makes me realize that no learning in life goes to waste. It'll always help you in unexpected situations. 

How I finally cracked the code to launching a startup and how you can too. Have you ever stood at the crossroads of a major career decision, wondering which path to take? Two years ago, I was right there, choosing between a cozy job and a wild startup dream. My heart kept pushing me towards the startup full of dreams but so shaky. I jumped in. It was tough, with many ups and downs. But, it ended up with the fruitful results so far Alhamdulillah. I learned taking big risks can bring amazing chances. What's a career risk that paid off for you? Let's chat in comments. Dare to choose what makes you feel most alive! #StartupJourney #RiskTakers #EntrepreneurLife #CareerLeap #DreamBig

I'm sharing a hard-won lesson from my startup journey: team building is TOUGH. It's not just about finding skilled people, it's about finding trusted allies who believe in your vision. You can't build a brand alone. You need people who get it, who share your passion, and who will ride the ups and downs with you. If your team isn't aligned with your vision, it's either because you haven't found the right people yet... or you haven't shared your vision often enough. Don't be afraid to open up, to share your why, and to trust your team with your dreams. It's the only way to build something truly remarkable. Who else is on this journey with me? Share your own team-building struggles and successes in the comments below! Kudos to our team building mentors from the TapstartX Community, who have guided and supported the growth of many #corporates and #startups! Would love to have your thoughts on this and what should be the approach while hiring or building a team and building a culture of sharing vision within the organisation. Jyotsna Kukreti Dobriyal Bharathi(Betty) Vijayappa Dipali Pallai Kumuda Rao Jyoti Nadagadalli Pompi Banerjee

Being a first-time founder, one of the first big questions I needed to answer was, "when do I jump in and do this full-time?" Being a father of three in an expensive state where my family needs both my salary and my wife's to be financially stable makes this decision kinda terrifying. Fortunately, advice from mentors at MIT Venture Mentoring Service was to keep working my day job as long as possible. It has made my journey significantly longer, but I'm still moving forward, which is the most important thing. I recently looked at an accelerator program for startups. It looked great. It provided access to networking, mentoring, special deals on services, and pitching help, all aimed at helping a startup get VC or angel funding. The problem is, it would require 13 weeks full-time. I just can't do that. I'm sure I could get a temporary leave of absence from the day-job. (I've mentioned before how awesome Givelify is.) Unfortunately, we can't be without my salary for 3 months. That would be a huge financial hit for us. This is the challenge of #midlifeentrepreneur-ship. We don't have the freedom the recent grads have to eat ramen and crash on a friend's couch while we work 18 hours a day on the startup. Let's face it, though, as I approach my 49th birthday, the thought of that kind of regimen to build a startup has no appeal to me anyway. I value balance in my life. I'm willing to work hard and put in long hours as-needed -- in moderation. I'm not going to ignore my kids or wife for weeks at a time to put in a few extra hours unless I have high confidence that it will be worth it. I have responsibilities beyond my startup that are more important to me than this venture. I am really looking forward to the point at which I will be able to work on my startup full-time. I fully expect it to be a while before I get there, but when I do, I will not have missed out on these years with my kids. Because, I'm not going to risk losing them for a better chance at startup success.

What does working at an early-stage startup look like? (The good, bad, and awesome) I have been working at an early-stage startup for over a year now. Save to say, I have seen it grow from the ground up, like an infant growing to a toddler. And it has been one of the best decisions of my life. Since the teams are small, you get a taste of a plethora of departments. I have done everything from HR to research and ideation and even design. This makes you more agile and broadens your skill set. You also get a lot of responsibility, thus making you more accountable for your actions. If you are someone who thrives on autonomy, working at a startup will be AMAZING! It is easy to climb up the ladder and get increments. But the catch here is you should be willing to go above and beyond- delivering your best every single time. But here is where things might not look great - Long working hours - Constantly putting out fires - Dealing with 5 different things in one go So if you are someone who finds it difficult to multitask and are not willing to get into the hustle wave, startups may not be the place for you. All in all, two things need to be crystal clear 1. Working at a startup is nothing like working at corporate. Treating a startup gig like a corporate job can turn out to be fatal. 2. Not everyone is built for it and that is okay. You can try and experiment where your calling lies PS: Happy to share more about my experience if you are interested. Feel free to connect PPS: Post inspiration Manan Jain #career #work #startup