I passed a 10x paying job to work at a startup, right after college. Here’s why.

1. I don’t want to spend the most productive years of my life chasing money. I want to build something meaningful, that changes lives.

2. I refuse to be a cog in the wheel, an easily replaceable fresher taking care of all the trivia in a greater scheme of things.

3. I want to be surrounded by passionate people. I’ve made good friends with my colleagues who’re much older than me.

4. Autonomy in taking decisions and having my ideas getting executed provide a sense of fulfilment.

5. A non-defined role is a generalist’s paradise. I can dabble in all things product, sales and strategy.

6. Having equity in an early-stage company with amazing founders is an asymmetric payoff I always talk about. 90% chance it goes to zero, 10% it succeeds. This is a risk with taking, especially when you’re on the inside and have the ability to impact the outcome.