A candid discussion about entrepreneurship vs ‘employee-ship’

Photo credit: Zachary Keimig

Sarah has worked at Guardian Technologies for nearly a decade. She makes well over US$100,000 a year, loves her team, her company, and her life as a whole.

When her entrepreneur friends poke fun at her for being a “nine-to-fiver” or “not dreaming big enough,” she doesn’t mind. She deeply respects her friends’ drives to build the next Apple or Facebook, but she couldn’t be happier.

She gets nights and weekends off as she watches her friends spend most of their “free time” working. During her late 20s, she crossed countless destinations off her travel bucket list with a hefty four weeks worth of vacation each year, while her friends have been locked up in their apartments building and rebuilding.

Not to mention that when she hits her bonuses, she makes more than them combined. But who’s counting?

Entrepreneurship vs “employee-ship”

I want to begin by saying the dream to become an entrepreneur isn’t a silly one—not in the least.

After all, I chose that path for myself, a decision that has allowed me to build JotForm over the last 12 years and has given me the chance to work with a team of incredible people.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t say the dream to become an employee isn’t a silly one either. In fact, there is a great deal of me that would argue it’s the better choice for some people. It allows you to:

• Help build an already established company vs lose sleep over thinking of all the entrepreneurial risks you took.
• Earn a hefty salary vs worry how on earth you’ll be able take care of your family for the rest of your life.
• Have the chance to one day move up the ranks vs embrace a completely uncertain future.
• Enjoy paid time off and other benefits vs burn yourself out in a culture that celebrates the 80-hour hustle.

Unfortunately, employee-ship is getting a bad rap. All of a sudden, being a nine-to-fiver was uncool, and aspiring to work for a company vs build one of your own somehow makes you small-minded, unmotivated, or a follower.

I totally disagree.

The story about Sarah above (her name and the company’s name have been changed for privacy purposes) highlights some of the benefits employees get to enjoy that most entrepreneurs don’t until they “make it” (if they ever make it).

While I’m not naive to think that Sarah’s experience is every employee’s experience, hitting a home run and selling your company for a billion dollars isn’t every entrepreneur’s experience either.

We need to talk more about the real cost of entrepreneurship and our “hustle until the haters ask if you’re hiring” mentality.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t always lead to happiness