"I’ve spent the last nine years working in Big Tech and have got the itch to move into the startup universe. How do I find opportunities and build a network to improve my chances of getting a job?"
Over the past decade, there has been a marked shift in where smart, ambitious people are going to build their careers — and tech startups are increasingly seen as desirable places to work.
There are many benefits to working for a startup, including flatter organisational structures, meaningful equity ownership and the opportunity to have a larger, more direct impact.
Developing a prepared mind
There is a growing amount of startup activity in Europe, and it can be overwhelming to think about where to start. You are right to call it a universe.
Company funding announcements, VC portfolio lists and startup job boards can be helpful in showing you what’s out there and who’s hiring, but you need to be proactive and targeted in your research.
Firstly, what kind of company are you looking to work for? Narrow down the companies that spark the greatest interest and where there could be strong mission alignment.
Filtering by domain is a good place to start. Look at relevant market maps to find challenger companies that are getting noticed in sectors and industries that interest you.
Similarly, find maps that cluster companies building on emerging technologies, such as generative AI. Not every company featured will be a startup, but it will give you a calibrated view of the leading players and the up-and-coming young competition to dig into further.
Sector- or technology-specific newsletters, like Ben's Bites for AI, are a good source of companies at the cutting edge.
If you are more product-led, check out what is bubbling to the top of Product Hunt or being discussed on X, where most conversations about tech startups happen.
If you’re limited to a certain geography, stay on top of the latest local startup watchlists to discover who's gaining traction.
Next, what stage or size are you looking for? There is a broad spectrum of company maturity that exists within the startup world, and the definition of a startup is wide-ranging (it could extend to any privately held company under 10 years old). The younger the company, the more risk there is attached as most things — such as the viability of the tech, the customers and the go-to-market — will be uncertain and unproven.
Founders rely on warm intros from their network for hiring and it’s often their best source of talent in the early days
Later on, as a company gains more customers, generates revenue and raises investment, the business starts to gradually become de-risked. It is helpful to figure out your appetite to take on risk and whether your skill set would best suit a company that is pre or post product-market fit.
Lastly, check for quality. Not all startup opportunities are created equal and, unlike in big tech, brand equity is non-existent for startups.
Once you have a target list, I recommend doing some deeper diligence. Look at the background and public social accounts of the founders who started the company. See if you are able to get a read on their vision, expertise and scale of ambition.
Look at the team who joined them — do they look like people you could learn from?
And don’t put too much stock in headcount growth. A good product, growing customer base and demonstrable market adoption are much better indicators of whether a startup is flying.
Finding a way in
Once you have honed your search, it’s time to find an entry point.
Ask most people in the startup ecosystem and they will tell you that they found their job through a personal connection. The startup sector is heavily relationship-driven and conventional job-seeking channels often don’t work. Founders rely on warm intros from their network for hiring and it’s often their best source of talent in the early days. If your network is all big tech as you mention, you’ll need to work a little harder to build these valuable links.
Start with your weaker connections. It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s highly likely that the person who will bring you closer to your target startup role is not one of your close contacts.
Broaden the definition of your “personal network“, as distance will allow you to reach different information, leads and referrals. For example, I imagine that you know at least one person in the startup ecosystem — perhaps someone you worked with a few years ago, or went to university with.
This could be someone who works for a startup, advises or has invested in one (individual or works for a VC firm). Start by reaching out to them, signalling that you’re looking for a new opportunity in an earlier-stage company.
Ask if they would be open to sharing advice over a short call or coffee. There is a lot of goodwill in the startup ecosystem, don’t underestimate it. Prepare some specific questions for them, and most importantly, ask if they can introduce or signpost one new connection as you build your network.
Do this as many times as you can bear and it will help you quickly grow your startup contacts.
Cultivate serendipity. I’m a big believer in creating “active luck“ through orchestrating those right time, right place moments. Go with an open mind to a selection of events and meetups where startup founders and talent gather. This might be large events like Slush or SaaStr, but it could also be smaller, lesser-known meetups hosted at startup epicentres like Station F, or on platforms like Luma.
Follow up with the people you meet. I met a future colleague by attending a small networking dinner for people in talent run by a VC firm (and I met said VC at a different previous meetup). Opportunity is everywhere, you just have to remain open to it.
Go direct. Don’t be afraid to reach out directly to founders and employees at your target companies. Not all roles are advertised and sometimes they are even built opportunistically around great talent. Understand the psyche of a founder and try to win their attention in your cold outreach: You may just get a response if you are able to identify one of their pressing challenges and articulate how you can help solve it.
This is for another post, but to give yourself the best shot as you start to interview for roles in startups, I recommend getting ahead of the assumptions and misconceptions that are sometimes formed about talent coming from a big tech environment. Think about the relevant skills and experiences that make you valuable to a startup, don’t get hung up on titles and prepare to understand startup compensation.
Good luck!
Zoe will be answering questions from Sifted readers each month. Have something you want to ask? Reach out at askzoe@sifted.eu.
