The start-up pitch

These are recruitment days at most B-Schools. And I went on panel after 2 years.

One question we always ask: “Why a start-up, why not corporate?”. Earlier, most people’d cite multi-functional exposure, career growth, challenges, ring side view of business, and apprenticeship. Till I heard these refreshing ones, some new, some packaged better.

1. Compounding – I am 24, I’ll work till 60. In 36 years, I will be earning 10x even if I start at half the salary in a start-up (CAGR ~ 25%) vs., corporate (CAGR ~15%). ESOPs aside.
2. Learning from failures – There’d be more failures in a start-up and even if there are some in a corporate, they wouldn’t be projected as one. I’ll learn more.
3. Shifting is easy – A corporate can house start-ups but vice versa can’t be true.
4. Teach me to save – In start-ups, I could be gone anytime, hence I’d be forced to save, at least for the time between jobs.
5. Elevator pitch – Junta will ask me what my start-up does and what I do in it. Elevator pitches are better learnt from experience.
6. (L)earning faster – I can likely, start working in the start-up on projects in my final year itself. I’ll catch the ground running when I join; maybe earn in college too.

Start-ups make you think out of the box, even for the prospective.

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• Business of Trust
• 1+1+3 = O’AgriFarm