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Here’s why you should give up the corporate life and work for a startup this year

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The idea of permanently leaving the big end of town to work for a startup came to me when I was in India. After getting married two years ago, my wife and I decided to take an ‘adult gap year’ and travel. A large part of that year was spent in India working for a small Australian based NGO, which had a focus on education technology.

It was at this NGO on the outskirts of Bangalore where my interest was piqued. I was intrigued by how its young and idealist culture, together with the technology driven platform, allowed the NGO to move so quickly, pivoting on short notice and adapting to the changing environment to make the venture a success.

When we returned to Sydney, I went in search of a business and workplace with a similar culture to that NGO, where I would be part of a purpose led, agile culture that large traditional businesses often lack. That’s when I found Oneflare, a tech based startup with an impressive vision for its business.

Working at a startup is very, and I emphasise very, different from corporate life. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider giving the corporate life a break and what you need to know if you plan on diving into the startup life.

Your corporate skills are still applicable

A corporate background is definitely advantageous, as you bring knowledge of how large successful companies operate without bringing the bureaucracy and politics. You also, very importantly, know what doesn’t work. The important thing is to have an open mindset, as a corporate employee who is too ‘institutionalised’ will struggle to leverage the strength of their experience.

Many Australian tech startups could benefit immensely from corporate experience, particularly as they grow, and you could be the person that makes that happen.

Freedom

The greatest difference, which is also the largest attraction for moving from corporate to startup, is the incredible freedom. Not just the freedom of dress code, work location, or work method, but the freedom to shape the business itself.

I was amazed in one of my first team meetings that we were talking about changing the business’ entire revenue model in the space of two months.

The freedom and speed is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of the startup culture, which is thrilling, making your work life an adventure.

Younger team

The employee demographic at a tech startup will most likely be quite different to the corporate world. At Oneflare, the workforce is mainly made up of tech savvy 20 somethings who have advanced technological skills and large amounts of entrepreneurial spirit.

If you are moving from corporate to startup, you may become the oldest member of the team, which can be frightening, but equally as exciting.

Culture shock

While it’s becoming a bit of a cliché in the startup world, you still need to prepare yourself for the end of suits and ties and the beginning of ping pong tournaments, shoe free zones and the occasional dog wandering around the office.

You shouldn’t be fooled by the casual atmosphere though. The challenges faced by any startup require a great deal of hard work to solve, but it’s the focus of energy on business problems rather than corporate politics that makes the difference.

I’ve only been working at Oneflare for a year, but much more than a typical year in corporate life it’s been a rollercoaster of adventure, hard work, great achievements and a whole lot of fun.

Brett Kaplan is the CFO of Oneflare, an online marketplace that connects people to more than 90,000 businesses in over 150 categories to quote for jobs needed around the home, from cleaning to pest control, gardening, painting, building, interior design, pet care, beauty services, accounting and everything in between.

Brett Kaplan