The experience of a first job at a start-up, as a young professional in Bangalore recounted recently, went something like this: mostly everyone was younger than 35 and the work atmosphere was exciting. The pay was reasonable and a raise came by fairly quickly. The company, then a few years old, hosted a grand party on its anniversary. A year later, the celebrations were more muted. And a bit more down the road, it was letting people go. The word was ‘restructuring’.
The professional, who preferred to remain anonymous, moved out when she got another offer. The unsettling feeling—of old colleagues leaving—perhaps tipped the scales. But ask her: given another chance, would she go again for a start-up job? Coming from one who has seen that world both close up and from a safe distance, the answer may be surprising. “I think I would. It’s very different in other (traditional) companies. There, stability is the lone thing that’s encouraging.”
Two years after start-up activity peaked in the country with big...
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