On Being Early
There's something special about being early at a company. You see how decisions get made. You learn the real game.
There's something special about being early at a company. When it's 20 people instead of 2,000. When decisions happen in conversations, not committees.
I've been lucky to be early at a few places. Ambience when it was 30 people, now a unicorn. Midi as an intern, now a unicorn. EyePop at the seed stage.
What You Learn
When you're early, you see everything. How hiring decisions get made. How strategy gets set. How the founders think about problems.
You also do everything. There's no hiding behind a narrow job description. You figure it out because there's no one else to figure it out.
The Tradeoff
Early stage isn't for everyone. The chaos is real. The uncertainty is real. But if you want to understand how companies actually get built, there's no better way.
Be early. Learn the real game. The experience compounds.