#leaders of 'traditional businesses' have no idea about what #startup experience adds to the skills. They have even less idea about the skill-sets of ex- #startupfounders. They treat them like any other employee and expect them to have the same behavior. Startup founders develop these unique skills that many in the traditional career paths never have the opportunity for: * Flexibility to pick up any responsibility * High learnability * Problem solving * Out-of-the-box thinking * Sales and marketing * Understanding of customer needs * Process optimization * Product development * Negotiation * Financial knowledge * Knowledge of latest and unique tools * Frugality * Communication skills * Team building and management ... and so on. If #leaders fail to acknowledge these skills and use them for the benefit of their organization, it is a big loss for both sides.
Working in a startup might feel like career suicide. Because when a startup succeeds, your individual value becomes as glamorized as the startup world. But when it doesn’t—which happens 90% of the time in India—that experience doesn’t even count. I’ve seen my team struggle to land roles after my startup failed in Oct 2022. A friend who just closed his startup heard the same: “That doesn’t help.” Startup failure gets treated as personal failure. Period. That’s the harsh truth. So, from an ex-founder to the founders out there—please stop beating your chest about how you’re offering an “exceptional opportunity” by letting your team work in a startup. They’re taking chances against the odds as much as you are. Acknowledge the other side of the coin. Edit: 1. I am collating constructive responses here: https://lnkd.in/gGWcpPqP 2. If you can spend 5 mins, please add your response: https://lnkd.in/gTCPFM4P
