INSEE statistics show that the failure rate of startups in the first five years of their creation is around 80%. These figures seem alarming, but this does not mean that their number or their value have diminished. Indeed, more than one hundred and twenty new young companies were identified as startups from July to September 2021 in France, compared to only less than forty the same period of the previous year.
They would employ up to 1.5 million people, according to INSEE. Why this strong interest in start-up job offers, despite the risks that are real? Is it a winning bet to evolve in the professional world and the business world?
Working in a startup exposes you to adversity
The startup is a nascent company, designed to explore new horizons. In its early years, it is looking for the business model that suits it best. The startup therefore evolves in an unstable environment, which often depends on the availability of financial resources, the vagaries of the market, and its own management. Unsurprisingly, employees also follow this same rhythm.
They work in uncertainty, in an environment with no fixed structure and limited resources. Compensation may also follow this trend. Moreover, given that the first phases of a company's evolution require high performance, the volume of work increases in this direction. In short, working in a startup is a constant rush, while developing the ability to adapt.
An environment conducive to personal development
Startups most often attract young graduates or young professionals. They believe that this environment will allow them to take a leap in the evolution of their career. And for good reason? The startup offers a great learning capacity to its employees. As the structure is not fixed there, one person can juggle several positions, allowing him to master all aspects of the business. Also, this job gives more freedom, not only in working hours but also and above all in self-expression.
The start-up indeed requires creativity, that ideas flow to find the best solutions to a problem, to innovate. This means that employees contribute directly to decision-making in the company, which increases personal and professional satisfaction. Finally, as creativity is the engine of the startup, the atmosphere is created to stimulate it: relaxed working atmosphere, exchanges between multiple individuals, etc.
The startup for challengers
To sum up, working in a startup is made for those who think they will find fulfillment in an atmosphere of freedom strongly punctuated by challenges. A startup that survives, and becomes a unicorn, is indeed one that manages to overcome and capitalize on the obstacles it faces. The same is true for its employees.
Success in this area depends above all on the consistency of this environment with the personality, objectives and values of the individual. Professional development depends on the ability to grow in an environment that is constantly challenged. Choosing to work in a startup is therefore not won in advance, it is a bet to be won.
