work for a startup

actually, i’ve only worked for startups… except when i was an intern which helped me figure out that i didn’t want to work for a big company.

Not worth it for it’s own sake. I mean, why not just find any fun, challenging job?

I worked for a digital music startup in 1999 – 2001, which was full of really amazing people. I worked 80 – 100 hours a week for low pay for most of it, but it’s still the greatest thing I’ve ever worked on.

OK, I have worked for Enfish, idealab! (includes sub-startups), ArsDigita, and Picasa. All of them startups of one kind or another.

The tiny, intense nature of startup companies is both addictive and dehydrating (lots of coffee). I have been at a large, comfortable company for the last couple of years and I’m starting to itch a bit for some crazy Web 2.0 action, or a nifty desktop app, or just a room full of people half my age with no idea how hard what they’re doing really is.

Be careful! If the people in charge don’t have a clear goal, and aren’t organized, you’ll be in a world of hurt.

I did it for four really intense years at the height of the Boom.
Did it for a year and a half after the Crash.

Allowed me to live as an artist for a year and a half after everything went belly up.

Met some interesting, intensely brilliant people. Met some intensely brilliant people with serious personality disorders.