This as-to-told-tos Essay is basic on a conversation with Kendall Rankin, a 30-Yaar-Old community and manager at an ai ai he started in the san francisco bay area. Its been edited for Length and Clarity.
When I WORKED AT LINKEDIN, IT WAS UNCOMMON FOR TO SEE People Stay at the Office Past 5 pm at the startup I’m Working for Now, an eight-Hour day of hard work is just the baseline.
Although I felt comfortable and taken care of at linkedin, when the excitement of working for a Big-Name Company Like Linkedin Wore off, realized I was learning, growing, and hustling the way, so i quit.
Now that I’m Working for an Early-Stage Startup, Every Day is Exciting, But Its Not Easy. I don’t think that startup life is for Everyone, but i know what i signed up for, and it work for me right now.
Linkedin Really Emphasized Relationship-Building and Work-Life Balance
I Started Working at LinkedIn AFTER Graduating from College in 2018 As part of Its Business Leadership Program, an 18-Month program that allowed with to work in sales, Customer Service, Talent Acquisition, and More. Later transitioned into a full-time customer success analyst role, which stayed in unil 2021 before quitting to work for a nonprofit and latend business school.
Linkedin Strongly emphasized Relationships, and I felt encurated by higher-ups to rob coffee with coworkers, have lunch with people, and take time from my desk to be present with others.
I typically got to the chicago office around 8:30 or 9 am and wold leave around 4 or 4:30 pm we switched to remote work in 2020, there was more flexibility. Without all the in-person related-brusip and lunch or coffee breaks that linkedin allotted for, my work be compound in four to six hours.
The Perks Slowly TURNED INTO GOLDEN HANDCUFS
We have had all the Common Tech Like Free Meals, A Great 401 (K) Match, A Wellness Fund, and Stocks. I felt Very Comfortable, and it was great to come right of College and Feel so taken care of.
But neither time passed, i started to feel limited. I realized my scope of work was narrow and felt Redundant at Times, and I felt disconnected from the full picture of how the business operated.
I ALSO FELT LIKE THE RATE OF UPWARD MOVEMENT AND SALARY INCREASE WAS SLOWER THAN I WANTED, AND I FOUND MYSELF SUCKING, “WHAT’S NEXT?” I realized my 20s were the time to take risk. I quit and late Attended Business School at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the Hopes of Pivoting to Work for an Early-Stage Startup.
Startup Life is Risky and Exciting
After graduating with an Mba in May 2024, Got Hirhed As A Community and Operations Manager at AI Music-Making Service. We’re a scrappy team of about a dosen operating five ladya aek out of an office in the bay area. I do Everything from retention marketing to partnerships to content, but of learn something new day.
I feel excited to come into the office of every day Because I’m Working on a Product i Believe in with People who are equally as excited. There’s this Feeling in the air that we’re on the precipice of something. Sure, startups are risk and unredictable, but the excitement of it all keps with going on days when it gets challenging.
I don’t think startups are for everyone
My Job Requires with to Constantly Switch Between My Creative and Engineering Brains, Make Split-Second Decisions, and Pivot Quickly, which Can Be Mentally Drainary. There’s so much work to be done so quickly that i’m not able to go as deep as i’d like on any one thing.
The Four-to-Six-Hour Days I WORKED AT LINKEDIN WAUDED NOT FLY HERE. I WORK HARD FROM 10 AM TO 6:30 PM, but it’s not uncommunication to stay late and work Weekends. I MAINTAIN HEALTHY BUNDARIES BY KEEPING MY WORK IN THE OFFICE AND USING MY HOME AS A SPACE TO DECOMPRESS.
Having a Big Tech Company on My Résumé Helped with Earn more at a startup
My Base Pay is About Double what it was at Linkedin, and i have great medical, dental, and vision benefits. The Only Thing I don’t currently have is a 401 (k) match. There’s a misconception that startups don’t pay well, but i think the good Ones willing to invest in you if they will you will provide Value.
For now, i love the small-team, fast-paced dynamic of startups, and i see myself pureeursuing entreneurship of some kind in the futures.
Although i’ve learned that working for a startup is better for me, i can’t discredit the value that has HAVING A Big Tech on my résumé did for in terms of opening for inputs and giving with a stamp of cddility.
Do you have a story to tell about Quitting Big Tech to Work for A Startup? If so, please reach out to this reporter at tmartinelli@businsinsider.com.
