Sam Houston had worked for ten different companies in the last seven years. Out of these 7 were startups, most of these businesses have either shut down or are not successful. He had worked with startups as small as a three people team or large corporations having over 20,000 employees. Each of these enterprises had taught him a different lesson. Here are some of the valuable experiences he shares:

There will be more opportunities to do great things

Like many of us, Sam has the tendency to get completely engrossed in work. We become too hard on ourselves when things don’t turn out well. The same is what Sam did while working with Secret. He looked at it as the one and only opportunity where he can prove himself and be successful. When it ended, Sam felt like a big failure and thought that he would never get such a possibility again in his life. But he found another job several months later. He feels that although it is emotionally challenging to get over these things, it is entirely worth it.

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Believe in Yourself

Working with a startup means you are in for a lot of pressure, and it’s easy to lose confidence in such a scenario. A fast paced startup can easily overlook your abilities, and you might get lost in the shuffle. Although humility and self-sufficiency are important qualities to have, it is essential to trumpet your skills and ask for guidance when you are stuck.

Put Yourself First

When Sam started working in a startup, he felt that he should be a team player carry out tasks that need to be done for the team. He realized that it is valuable to be a team player, but you need to think about whether or not the tasks that you offer to do will benefit your personal career. You might prove to be helpful at the moment, but it will not do much good to your professional growth in the company or outside it. You might make people like you, but you will need to think about whether it is worth it.

Be Goal Oriented

Sam had joined companies where he didn’t negotiate well over the salary or job titles. He had taken up job roles that didn’t align with where he was in his career. He says that although you need to be flexible for the requirements of the business, you should try to make sure you do tasks that can get you grow personally or professionally.

Leave a Bad Situation when it becomes Necessary

It is important to give your best and be selflessly involved in what you do. But it is not worth spending your time and energy on things when they get too extreme. If you are not happy and don’t see any personal growth in the company, it is better to leave before it gets too late. Try to be courageous now rather than regretting it later.

Reach out for Emotional Support

We all need external validation, don’t shy away from reaching out to your friends and family for support. It helps to know that your feelings are valid and people care about them.

Conclusion

These are some valuable lessons Sam learned while working for startups and all of us relate to these points some way or the other. Sam adds that we should stay active and not take things too personally.