Yeah yeah!! I dont want to join a startup

It was interesting at Bar Camp Bangalore to see so many people being interested in startups. Infact there were many who had already started up. Right from the age of 24 to 42. But are they going to do it all alone. Thats the big question. Yeah you have a couple of friends but is that all thats needed. We had people from Picsquare. These guys were brilliant in ideas. But as told by one of the far more experienced gentleman from Digital Strait, its not just the idea thats pulls you through, its the vision. Lets not get into Mission and Vision statements. I think what is really meant by this is, what are you going to do when the big guys enter your arena. Are you going to sustain yourself or are you going to sell out to those guys. Interesting things. Entrepreneurs are lead into believing that people would just join their startups. Its the in thing. Come on its not the school kids who says he has a blue candy I too need blue candy. Thats outright stupid. You need to tell that I am paying you more that what anyone can give you around. That payment can have various modes, cash, stock or or may even something intangible like experience to move on to some other high paying company. But as I believe all startups need good people. And that definitely does not come cheap. Why the hell would someone join you when he can do a better job while getting a better pay. I know many people do not like to think about it. Some of the online startups are again on the 2001 way. They dont have clarity on how to sustain in an ecosystem where big players have bigger resources. Some just want to start and sell off their company. But then why will someone really brilliant join you. I dont know of a person who would not join a company X but a company A inspite of the fact that in future that company X will buy out this company A. The thing is, also told by Scott Adam , "Work Sucks". If it did not why do you need rules and times to do it. I would do it all day long for free. I will do open-source projects. I need money because thats the only incentive that I have to work for someone else. I think that any startup in India should make up its mind about what it wants to do. How its going to make sure its going get hold of the right people. I really think that all startups must put some thought into this.

Then we had a person from Sloka Telecom. Readers please update me on the name of the speaker, if you can. This gentleman had a startup which according to me is the most scariest of all. He says he had spent all that had earned in US in traveling. Now he has his brother, uncle and mother giving up their money to fund his startup. He pays his employees something which is a third of market rate(as per his own admission). I wonder whether his employees know of the situation those guys were in. They were almost at the doors of being jobless with the startup going bust. No planing what so ever. Startups are not supposed to be adhoc adventures. If they are I wonder how will randomness of the world will reward them. Right now I would say times are good. Everyone is having a job. But then what if a retake of 2001 happens. What will I do say I get into one of these startups.

I knew of a lot of people who were there, wanting to join a startup. But now with the world of Indian startups in this perspective I ask you. Would you join a startup like the ones above?

Update: The speaker from Sloka Telecom was Mr. Sujay Karampuri, he is also the founder of the company. Thanks Piyush

Comments

manuscrypts said…
i think i agree with you.. only hope that the dot com dot gone game that happened earlier will not be as scary this time, because this time around there are kids of the 20-25 age who i fear wont have the maturity to bounce back...
100rabh™ said…
I hope people are better prepared now. I hope people learn from mistakes of others. Its important not to repeat the same mistake again and again
Piyush said…
Just to add to your database, the speaker from Sloka telecom was Sujay Karampuri, he is also the founder of the company.

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