I'm not sure if you ever had the same feeling, but I have it every single day. That's why I decided to write this article so I can ask for help, or share some little piece of advice with others who might be in the same position as me.
Today, I work at a small startup company and while working there has its perks, it also has its drawbacks. For instance, I am not able to enjoy my life as much as I like. In fact, lately, I feel more stressed-out than ever.
I am not saying that my work isn't fun or rewarding, it's pretty challenging if you pay attention to detail, but that's not a problem. What bothers me is the fact that I'm dealing with stress most of the time.
No matter how much sleep I get or how good of a mood I'm in, stress is still there and sometimes it doesn't go away for 2 days straight. It all starts when you realize you're working at a startup and there's no guaranteed salary so your money comes from your own efforts; therefore making things harder for you personally.
Does it sound too familiar?
It does for me. In fact, I am working almost every day from Monday to Sunday and it's not just because I love what I'm doing but because I have no other choice. But what is it about working at a startup company that makes things harder for you personally? For a startup to be successful in the long run, it needs as much staff as possible (which requires money). But the problem is that there is no guaranteed salary so you either earn it or lose it. You also cannot count on a fixed amount of money which means you have to work even harder just to make sure you don't go hungry in the future.
You might be thinking: "Okay, but you can always get another job right?" That's good and all, but I don't want to get another job so I can enjoy my life. I would rather do that when I am retired.
I know that many people are working at startups and it's a great environment to work in general. But the only problem is that you never know when your job will last forever. If you're lucky, your company will become very successful and you'll be rewarded for all the hard work you've done from day 1. But if not, well... In that case, you won't have a choice but to keep working there until your death or until something else comes along to replace it.
I understand that there are people who truly enjoy their work, but honestly, I wouldn't. I like my life and I don't want to work a job that takes up my entire life.
Unfortunately, that's the way it is in the startup world. You probably won't be able to change it because companies like Facebook and Google wouldn't hire most of the people they have if they knew they would be working from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in a 100 square foot room for the next 20 years or so. Also, one part that ticks me off is the company bosses that clearly don't know what is going on, but steadily push you to do what they want. Which in particular, since they don't know what to do about the system, they would run or ask someone to run it, the wrong way. Instead of making things run smoothly in perfect rhythm and harmony, it's most likely a long drive in the dream world. And that's not the way it should be. I feel like I've lost my inspiration to keep going due to reality being a harsh place to live in, especially if you're used to a happy life. Though I know happiness is subjective and one person might find happiness in a lifestyle another might reject, I still don't want to live in misery all day long.
My plan is this: To be independent, that can replace my daily routine and my current job while I continue working on projects on the side, but never letting them be as important as my main source of income so it can last for as long as possible even if something happens to me. Other than that, I guess, all I have to do is to spring back and forth, and to hustle my way to a good life!
