Marksonland

Or if I did use a resume, I'd think about it like a pitch deck: who's my audience? what's the problem I am solving? Why am I uniquely situated to solve it? etc. And if I couldn't answer those questions, I probably shouldn't be applying for the job in the first place.

i was talking with a friend the other day who was thinking about joining an early stage start-up. He's a smart guy who has a good job with a big company but wants to get involved in an earlier stage venture.

Long story short, he found a company that looked like a good fit (product, financing, team, etc.), but he was hung up on some of the comp numbers. My advice to him: forget about the comp numbers (sure, negotiate but don't let it drive your decision) and think long, not short.

His goal is to move into the start-up world, get to know the VC's, other entrepreneurs, gain some early stage experience. Learn how to build a company. This gig does all those things. Sure maybe he could squeak out another .25% of stock, but is it worth it?

The company he's joining probably probably won't turn him into the next Larry or Sergey - most don't. But the experience he gets there will make an excellent slide in his personal pitch deck. It makes finding his next start-up gig even easier to find (as an employee or even a co-founder).

Any start-up investor will tell you one shot deals are hard to find. You got to play the numbers - invest in 10 and hope one hits. As founders and employees we should think the same way. Don't play for the one shot - build the personal pitch deck that's going to give you lots of swings at the plate.