Unpopular opinion: taking the stable job over the startup was the right call for me

Back in 2019 I had to pick between a corporate IT job at a bank in Cleveland paying $62k or a startup gig in Austin for $55k with equity. Everyone I knew said go startup for the growth and experience. I went with the bank instead. Three years later that startup is gone and I'm making $78k with a pension. I still wonder if I missed out on something but my bills are paid and I sleep fine at night. Has anyone else picked the boring option and not regretted it?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia_green211mo ago

Oh man, that part about "everyone said go startup for the growth and experience" hit home lol. I had the same choice in 2017 but went with the boring state government IT job instead of a small startup. That startup folded within two years and I'm still here with my steady paycheck and a pension plan that actually means something. I think we both made the smart play honestly, security is underrated when you're the one paying rent every month.

skyler_smith851mo ago

Three years later and that startup is just a tax write-off now, right @patricia_green21?

xena_brown501mo ago

Wait, did you guys see that article about the government database that went down last month? I work with state systems too and it reminded me of something. One time I had to explain to my boss why our entire department should switch to a different spreadsheet software because the old one couldn't handle the data anymore. It took three meetings and a lot of coffee to get that through. But you know what? That boring decision probably saved us from a bunch of headaches later. Steady stuff might not be flashy but it keeps things running. Sometimes the quiet wins are the best ones, right?