“Do you know where we are?” asked Milo.

“Certainly,” he replied, “we’re right here on this very spot. Besides, being lost is never a matter of not knowing where you are; it's a matter of not knowing where you aren't – and I don’t care at all about where I’m not."

Join a Startup. Here’s How.

I’m a startup proselytizer. Anyone not working at a startup who’s had coffee or a meal with me will tell you that at some point in our conversation I probably slipped in something about working at a startup. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn, make a difference, see results, have responsibility, etc. and I think everyone should at least try it once. Here’s how:

  1. Immerse yourself in a tech/startup community. Most big cities have one - you don’t have to move to silicon valley (and if you’re thinking about it, come to New York instead). Put your email address on all the local newsletters (in NY, at least subscribe to Charlie’s), attend every event (especially the ones you don’t think are relevant), and just be an outgoing, friendly person.
  2. Read the industry papers. I read TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Silicon Alley Insider, Hacker News, and a few others. They all talk about startups that have just raised a round of financing (meaning they have money in the bank). Those are the ones that are hiring. Capital raises are referred to in rounds: a company raises a Series Seed/A, then a B (maybe a year or so later), then a C, etc, until they are sold or go public. The earlier the round the smaller the team and the more scrappy/cash strapped they will most likely be.  Also try searching the archives on those sites for your areas of interest to see if anything has come around recently.
  3. Become an expert before you reach out. When you’ve found an interesting startup, learn everything you can about it, the space, and their competitors. And then learn more. Figure out how you can add value, reach out, and then offer to work for free. Prove you’re worth the money and they’ll bring you on.

While this is focused on tech (by the way, everything today involves tech – from fashion to education), the same idea can be generally applied: immerse yourself, learn all you can, then prove your worth. For more in-depth thoughts, check out Alex Taub’s posts on the subject.

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Juventas Fugit  is designed and written by Justin Wohlstadter, who, when not writing in the third person, can be found in a coffee shop talking about startups, thinking about the future of education, and generally procrastinating something important.

  • Passions: startups that positively affect the world, education innovation, good design, learning, and meeting those with an equally insatiable curiosity.
  • Play: director of product design at Enterproid and partner at BOLDstart Ventures.
  • Previously: built the early-stage venture arm of Penny Black. And many other crazy, less successful ventures involving fire extinguishers, measuring philanthropic impact, and creative spaces.
  • Pedantry: most of the important stuff I taught myself or learned from friends, but I’m fortunate to have (barely received) degrees from Harvard and Oxford. At Oxford I wrote my dissertation on how internet innovation will disrupt access to higher education.
  • Procrastination: can be found on Twitter, Linkedin, AngelList and other web spaces, and be reached via email at my first name at this domain.
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