The paradox of a common man.

The paradox of a common man. Most of us go through this. Few know what to do and they do it. Others don’t, but that is ok too.
1. The Paradox of Freedom: Do a startup to be your own boss and work whenever you want, which turns out to be all the time. Or, get a corporate job and have your work hours dictated, but at least you can leave work at the office (most of the time).

2. The Paradox of Security: Choose a stable corporate job for financial security, yet constantly worry about layoffs and office politics. Or go for a startup where the thrill of potential success keeps you up at night, along with the fear of financial ruin.

3. The Paradox of Passion: Follow your passion by starting a business, only to realize passion doesn’t pay the bills. Or, take a well-paying corporate job and spend your evenings fantasizing about your dream business.

4. The Paradox of Expertise: In a corporate job, you’ll be the go-to expert in a very narrow field. As an entrepreneur, you’ll know a little about a lot and be an expert in juggling crises.

5. The Paradox of Stability: A corporate job offers a steady paycheck and clear career path, leading to midlife crises and existential dread. A startup offers unpredictable income and career path, leading to daily crises and existential dread.

6. The Paradox of Recognition: In a corporate job, your hard work might get recognized… by your boss taking credit. In a startup, every little success is yours to celebrate… if you have the time and energy to do so.

7. The Paradox of Work-Life Balance: Corporate jobs promise work-life balance with paid vacations you might never take. Startups offer the flexibility to work from anywhere, which really means working everywhere, all the time.

8. The Paradox of Learning: At a corporate job, you’ll attend endless training sessions on things you already know. As an entrepreneur, every mistake is a costly but valuable lesson, with no formal training required.

The reality of the rat race is that even if we win the race, we are still a rat.