New to Startup

cybelewu·May 20, 2021

I recently finished a UX/UI bootcamp and am currently searching for UX Research roles (and very interested in healthcare). I found a UX Research role at a healthcare startup. At this point it is equity and am not sure if I should continue through the process or not. On the one hand, this appears to be my dream job, doing UX research at a healthcare company, However, I am new to the startup world and frankly it makes me nervous. I have not held a full-time position in a long time (due to being a family unpaid caregiver for 9 years).

teresaman·May 20, 2021

Congrats on finding the UX role! Are you unsure of continuing because it's equity only and not cash compensation? Or the fact that you don't think you're ready for the role?

cybelewu·May 20, 2021

It is more because it is equity. I am excited about the role and it is what I want to do... UX research in healthcare. I am unfamiliar with the structure of a startup using equity

teresaman·May 24, 2021

There's actually a timely opinion piece about startup equity here (https://every.to/napkin-math/you-probably-shouldn-t-work-at-a-startup-9387b632-345c-4a22-bac0-3cb92f0eecf1), but more tactically speaking, this is a good resource from Carta to understand what your equity could actually be worth: https://carta.com/blog/value-equity-offer-startup-equity-calculator/

cybelewu·May 24, 2021

Thank you so much for this. This is just what I needed. I had heard that working at a startup would give juniors like myself some really great experience. But, as an unemployed family caregiver with a dwindling bank account , it is hardly worth it.

teresaman·May 24, 2021

Exactly, it's not uncommon for very early stage startups to be compensating purely on equity, however as someone considering that offer like yourself, it requires a sound financial situation to be able to not have inbound cash for some time, and the ability to take the risk that the equity 1) could take many years to amount to something meaningful and 2) if at all.