Startups are the latest craze in the business world. Creating new technologies and new industries, startup companies are leading the way to the future in the arenas of business and technology. But all that glitters is not gold and for all of the shiny new-ness of startups, there is a downside.
Author and journalist Dan Lyons has been writing about the technology sector for nearly three decades. Like many traditional industries, journalism has been changed, mostly by the internet. That means for many, including Mr. Lyons, the loss of his job.
In his early fifties and married with two growing children at home, he had to find employment. After loosing his job at Newsweek, he was offered a job at the Hubspot, a startup marketing firm. It seemed like the ideal position for a man with his background and experience. What he found was a company filled with employees who were half his age, colleagues who acted more like fraternity brothers than adults working in a professional office and company owners whose business philosophy was akin to throwing caution to the wind and hoping it would add to the bottom line.
I found this book to be fascinating. It was fascinating because it revealed the true state of not just business, but the economy in America. Employees over a certain age (and in Mr. Lyon’s age bracket more specifically), regardless of the years of experience they have, often face job discrimination. Companies are opened with lofty goals and products and rely on investors to keep the doors open, but rarely see a decent profit. Unlike decades ago, when employees were guaranteed decent salary and benefits in return for their loyalty and hard work, employees are fired at the turn of a dime.
I recommend it.
Writergurlny 