Tech IndustryApr 1, 2021
Newlinarcian

Trying to decide between Google, CZI, a series B startup and a new venture

Hi, I am super happy to have so many options at this point, but now, I need advice. I have Front End SWE offers from CZI (chanzuckerberg.com), a series B startup and a very young startup. About Me: - 10+ YoE. Startup experience > 6 years. Ex-Yahoo, Ex-Infosys. - Long term goal: Start my own company. So, need a big brand name for VC funding in future. Also, need relevant experience and confidence to start my own venture. - Enjoy working on products end to end (from market research to design, development, deployment, marketing, etc everything). - Looking for opportunity to work on a large large user base systems. Worked for <10K users. - Want to give back to society. #Google: Pros: Big name. Dream company. Amazing talent to learn from. Maybe opportunity to work on Area 120. Will develop for millions (if not billions) of users. Cons: I guess I will be asked to work on a very specific problem and solve it for huge user base (like designing a sign in system or emoticons on messenger, etc). Can't switch teams for 1 year after joining. #CZI: Pros: Reasonable name. Great talent to work with. Will be working on a more ambiguous and bigger scope of the problem (in comparison to Google). I know my hiring manager and would absolutely love to work under her. Making a lot of efforts for social good. Will develop for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of users. Cons: Heard about the politics at higher management. Not sure if "doing social good" is a mask from founders or a genuine attempt. I know that employees are pretty committed. No stocks - but I can invest on my own the base salary difference. Series B #startup: Pros: Doing social good - genuinely. Getting higher title and responsibilities Hope that one day it may go big - I think at least 4-5 years. Cons: Very junior team + junior manager. Not sure who will I be learning from - I don't want to be the smartest/most knowledgable in a room. TC is way less than bigger companies. In best case will have thousands of users. Very small company (<10 people): Pros: Can get any title I want Very high risk, very high reward Will get to build a company from scratch with relatively lesser risk - great learning for my long term goal. 0 users currently. Cons: Not a co-founder. Maybe a founding engineer. Super low salary. Not enough trust in founders or if the company will go big at all. In best case will have thousands of users. 0 users currently. What would be your advice? And please add a comment on why? UPDATE: Thanks all for the advice and votes. I, being on H1B can't start a company immediately. But, I did join CZI - stayed there for about 6 months and could not make the opportunity work. Now, I am joining Google. Thanks blind and @dontbe3vil for telling me that Google's offers are valid for 1 year. About starting the business, I am trying that as a side hustle as many suggested. I learnt that best is to build a product, and start selling/distributing it - company will form on its own, in it's own time.

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I!25:ywgo3 Apr 1, 2021

If you want to do your own startup either join the new venture (relevant experience), or google and side hustle until it becomes main hustle ($ + security to take risk).

Humana l 8 r Apr 1, 2021

I don’t have startup experience, but maybe Series B is a better option to learn than founding engineer? With new venture they could fail within 6 months and learn very little depending on what power OP gets in their role

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I!25:ywgo3 Apr 1, 2021

To be frank, if your goal is to be an entrepreneur, and you have no entrepreneurial experience, failing in 6 months might be the best thing that ever happened to you. You will learn way more about how to start your own business at the new venture where you are actually starting a business and searching for PMF than at the series B where PMF should mostly be found already (hopefully). Failure = learning. Nobody does it right the first time. Gotta take the plunge at some point, the sooner the better.

Google dontbe3vil Apr 1, 2021

Try starting your own company. Google offers are valid for up to 12 months. If you fail, you can always go back to Google.

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linarcian OP Nov 21, 2021

Thank you so much for the help and advice