Entrepreneurship vs. Getting a Job

05/16/2011

I came to MIT to focus on entrepreneurship and still am focused on starting a company as a life goal. But I refuse to start a company just to start something, and nothing has grabbed my interest enough to go all-in just yet. And frankly, I have a ton of school debt. This is a big problem for a lot of my classmates, and one which the MIT Entrepreneurship Center needs to better understand and address -- but that is a topic for another post. So anyway, over the last few months I have been busy searching for a full-time job.

I decided to look for a role at a start-up. Some people say the return really isn't there to "join" a start-up. You get little of the credit, take on greater risk, the financial upside is limited compared to the founders, and in the mean time salaries are usually a bit lower.

I disagree with this fundamentally. This is esspecially true when making a major career transition like I am. Before MIT Sloan, I was a mechanical engineer working for a defense contractor. While at MIT, I became infatuated with web and software, an area where I have a lot to learn. I think spending time in a start-up will give me important experience and credibility, as well as allow me to prove myself. Additionally, it will be a great chance to build a network in the industry, beyond what I was able to build here at MIT.

I think starting a company is one of the most challenging, beautiful, and exciting things someone can do. Put it is important that the time, fit, and team is right.

Posted at 11:41 AM | Permalink

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Luke Behnke, MBA ’11

05/16/2011