I have a long history of working in top tech companies but 4 years ago went into the startup world. First I cofounded a web3 crypto company where we had a very successful launch but it went downhill and I left as the other founders ran it into the ground. We had an amazing vision but failed to properly execute and delivery anything out the back end.
Then I joined another friend in his business - brought a new idea in and we changed the business vision - lots of great concepts but no actual product or revenue - trying to raise money but have not been successful yet. Now I need to go get an actual job and worried I’ll be judged poorly on not being able to be successful.
Sure its great I tried but I’m nervous I’ll be thought of as unable to execute. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has a history like this. Any advice?
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First: you are most certainly employable, just know what your WHY is
Second: it’s only failure if you haven’t learned anything. So what did you learn that will make you better at delivering results to the company you are interested in - get that down, and you are on the right path.
Mention how you joined a start company without mentioning you being part owner. Just state your role as a high level role within the business .
Saving grace can be saying college, people don’t realize that you can put college as work history, on home loans/ car loans and other
Once you become an entrepreneur, you are no longer attractive as a employee. I’ve been told this few times 😔
Trying to bypass this with “entrepreneurial” and certifications in skills
And when I do it, I will put “Founder” not “Entrepreneur” as the title
Would depend entirely on what you need them to do. Lots of entrepreneurs get jobs. I have one exit under my belt and got executive interest although didn’t do any interviewing. But I’m sure that if I wanted a leadership job I could get it.
OP can try for smaller companies. Where his leadership experience would be considered useful. I’m sure there are hiring managers that value the creativity of entrepreneurs in later companies too.
Easy 50% of businesses fail in the first two years, Yes you probably made mistakes but think about all you learned.
Same situation here. However have you considers joining other successful startup ?
A word of advice - don’t bother going through recruiters when applying for jobs. Recruiters are looking for someone who has done the exact same job for a very similar company before. What they’re NOT looking for is a square peg in a round hole - if you took time out of your career to start a company, you’re going to look odd to them, and they’ll move you to the “too hard/don’t bother contacting pile” immediately.
Instead, reach out to the CEO of the company you’re applying to directly. Tell them you spent the last 4 years building your own startup and made some progress, but ultimately the company didn’t take off. Ah well, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right? (Use that line)
And now you’re done with startups and have decided you can have more impact by joining an already successful business and making it grow faster rather than trying to start your own from scratch.
The big fear that a potential employer is going to have is that you’ll be difficult to manage and eventually leave again to do your own thing. Which is, honestly, totally fair.
So you want to address that fear head on, and tell them that you’ll commit to a reasonable timeframe (2 years, for example).
Honesty is the best policy IMO, but you can still spin the story in a way that allayws their fears, overcomes their objections, and makes you look like a massive potential asset to their team rather than a high risk misfit.
Just explain what had been achieved for each startup (I mean, at it’s peak). It’s common for startup to close down until two years.
Same with me. Was laid off and built a mobile app but I want to find a job. I’ve been out about 7 months
I had a couple of failed attempts when I was in my mid 20s, put down on my CV that I was working as a freelancer in my field and that pretty much solved the gap.
When asked, I would always say I was freelancing to pay the bills but tried my hand at starting a business, after a while, I realized the stress and uncertainty weren’t for me and I was looking for something more stable.
Its not entirely true, but it’s true enough, and i think it sounds good enough to potential employers
My advice is list them on a personal website, but not on your resume. If anyone asks if you have startup experience, be honest and say yes but they didn’t last long.
When addressing two failed startups on your CV, focus on the positive aspects and the skills you acquired. Highlight any achievements and lessons learned, demonstrating your resilience and willingness to grow. Be honest about the challenges and outcomes, taking responsibility for your role in the ventures. Emphasize how your experiences have prepared you for a corporate role and how your skills can benefit potential employers. By framing your startup experiences as opportunities for growth and learning, you can present yourself as a valuable candidate with a strong skill set, ready to tackle the challenges of the corporate world. Remember, setbacks are common, and how you present and learn from them matters in your job search.
Just tell how it benefitted you. I guess even in most failed cases your start up story has teached you some things. Also Most employees like it if you have independence and having affinity with start-ups helps in that. Also jobs like business development manager, even really encourage you to have entrepreneurial experience in that.
Some companies want to hire founders, some don’t. Many YC companies want to hire founders because they appreciate the scrappiness, willingness to wear many hats, and speed. You should check out putting your profile on Work at a Startup.
Startups gonna startup. You shouldn’t explain it on your CV, but be ready to answer questions about your successes there, what you would have done differently, what you learned, why you’re looking to get out of the startup world (stability), etc. The right team will get this.
What is the actually work you did on your startup?