I consulted for a certain 'unicorn startup' based in India during their stealth stage. I joined another (now defunct) startup as employee #2. Worked my @$$ off for 3 years before I called it quits. From my own experience:
Pros:
- No layers of management BS
- Startups seem to be more flexible about work hours and remote work
- More wiggle room to experiment; open to embracing new tech
Cons:
- Inexperienced leads, managers, CXOs. I can't stress this enough.
- Uncertainty. You gotta have a bag packed, ready to hit the streets at short notice
- Slog it out as an 'early employee' for years and watch the company go down the drain. That is the story of most startups. The chances of making it big are astronomically low.
Pros: - No layers of management BS
- Startups seem to be more flexible about work hours and remote work
- More wiggle room to experiment; open to embracing new tech
Cons:
- Inexperienced leads, managers, CXOs. I can't stress this enough.
- Uncertainty. You gotta have a bag packed, ready to hit the streets at short notice
- Slog it out as an 'early employee' for years and watch the company go down the drain. That is the story of most startups. The chances of making it big are astronomically low.