‘Apun ka business’ vs. ‘Ek secure life’

Is working for a startup better for me or should I join a large MNC? Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond? We all have had these questions come to our mind at one time or the other. Let’s examine both the options and see if we can bring an end to this debate.

Having the next ‘big thing’ is the new cool. We all have fantasized about having our own billion dollar company at one time or the other with our friends. Startups are considered fun and are known for their employee-centric work cultures. An important thing that differentiates a startup from a regular business is the fact that a startup is built to grow, to adapt to fast change.

Let’s have a look at some of the skills that one requires for being a successful entrepreneur.

• Public speaking:

Public speaking comes in handy when marketing your product to the masses. Steve Jobs is a perfect example of how the charisma of one’s personality can help form the image of the company.

• Financial skills:

How much should I give away 15% in my company for ? Is buying this company worth it ? These are some of the few questions which one can answer when one is well versed in the jargons of Wall Street.

• Human relation skills:

Entrepreneurship is all about the people. You can’t expect to run a successful startup if you can’t make people work for you.

In the last couple of years, the startup ecosystem in India has been given an impetus by the recent policies of the Indian Government especially the likes of Startup India program, Make In India program and AIC (Atal Incubation Centres ).

A corporate job is commonly associated with security. It is often made to seem that there is no personal development for a person who decides to work for another company instead of building his own. But I think it is not true. We have, as examples, our very own Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai who depict the possibility of corporate success. A corporate scenario provides plenty of opportunities for one’s self-improvement. Skills like public speaking, marketing and finance prove really handy in AC corporate job as well.

Making it big in the startup world is a journey in itself. For becoming successful as an entrepreneur, one has to exercise a lot of self-awareness and know himself or herself deeply. In a startup, one has the tremendous job of building one’s own distribution network which is not the case in a job. A startup provides opportunities for great growth in a small period of time which is usually not available in case of a corporate job. Usually, growth in corporate life comes slowly.’Slow and steady wins the race’ aptly applies to the corporate scenario.

So, what should one go for ?

According to me, one must definitely go for a startup if he/she thinks that his/her idea can bring something new to the table.

But, as Rajat Khanna of TVF Pitchers (if you guys haven’t watched it  yet, watch it, it’s brilliant ) says :

Startups, if done just as another option to improve one’s life prospect, there are more chances of it to fail. According to some statistics, as much as 75% of all venture-backed startups fail.

Sometimes an entrepreneur’s life becomes too monotonous. One has to sacrifice a lot of things that one can experience as a normal person. In this regard, a well-suited job may serve you better in helping you experience all the different joys that life has to offer you.

So, what do you think about entrepreneurship ? Is it overhyped and glorified ? Is a 9-to-5 job really adventureless or is it just another cliche ? Let’s talk !

Blog by:

Vineet Bhat

2nd Year, Electronics and Communication, SVNIT.