| Feb 03, 2023

Startup and Stability, Surprisingly now in the Same Sentence?

These are uncertain times in tech. If you’re at one of the many companies in the news recently, think back to why you joined. Was it the people? The tech? Or maybe… the perception of a rock-solid, not-going-anywhere, totally-guaranteed position? Things have changed lately. Whether the rounds of layoffs hitting the valley hard are truly […]

These are uncertain times in tech.

If you’re at one of the many companies in the news recently, think back to why you joined.

Was it the people?

The tech?

Or maybe… the perception of a rock-solid, not-going-anywhere, totally-guaranteed position?

Things have changed lately.

Whether the rounds of layoffs hitting the valley hard are truly necessary to address unsustainable pandemic-era over-hiring - or, put more cynically - balance-sheet improvements slipped under the rug to boost profits at the expense of people… the illusion of big-company stability is no more.

Now…. might be the best possible time to join a startup.

In fact, a startup might be the most stable place right now.

But not just any startup though. As Liam Neeson might say, one with “a very particular set of skills.”

If you have a few minutes, I’d love to explain.

In general, startups will offer something different. Here’s a starter list:

Excitement - you get to be the first to bring a new thing into the world and see its value realized.
Influence - you get to steer the ship, and see the effects of your efforts.
Equity - you truly own a piece, and you share the financial rewards.
Personal Growth - you get the opportunity to learn faster and grow faster.

But for the tiny subset of startups that have just raised a funding round in one of the most challenging quarters in memory:

Add Stability to that list of attributes.

Also, 👏.

Especially for later-stage companies (C Round, D Round, etc.), where scrutiny on business fundamentals increases: it’s less about the potential, and more about the reality. Fewer stories, more metrics.

Like everything, a job there is no guarantee. But unlike that big company in the news, the specter of layoffs won’t be your concern anytime soon.

So, that later-stage startup whose raise you just heard about on TechCrunch, whose funding can power years of growth? That company might just be the best, and most stable place, for you.

If your spider-sense sensed a pitch was coming - you were right!

I’m proud to work at Forward Networks, and we just announced a $50M raise.

We’re in the “sweet spot” for startups: money in the bank to power growth, referenceable customers you know, and an impact-oriented culture from the beginning. We’re building a product category so new that it doesn’t have a Magic Quadrant, with a tech lead so vast nobody else would be in that quadrant anyway. 😀 🤷 We enable companies of any scale to secure and assure their network, and, increasingly, their entire digital infrastructure, which helps the people and the company.

People matter, and when they experience those attributes of a startup - excitement, influence, growth, and equity - in a low-drama, no-moral-qualms, customers-get-excited place, they tend to stay. 15 of our first 21 are here, each with 7 yrs or more on this shared journey; today, every one of them leads a team.

Take a look - we’re hiring in a range of areas, from sales, to engineering, to support tech, and more.

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