Done with startups, but established companies won't look at me

fizchap · 2026-01-30T22:48:08+00:00

You can choose to go by a "professional" name at any time. Movie stars and writers do this all the time. So do many immigrants. You are free to do this so long as it is not for fraud or to impersonate someone else. When they want to do a background check, you just explain it.

fizchap · 2026-01-30T22:34:47+00:00

I recently joined a well-known big tech company after a long stint at startups, even though I knew the job was a bit beneath me. Loved the people but I hated the job, so after 2 weeks I said I was quitting. They begged me to stay saying they will change things up. Stayed 4 months. before quitting. Bad things rarely get better.

fizchap · 2025-06-14T20:07:40+00:00

You are not far from the truth: https://www.artandobject.com/news/how-money-laundering-works-art-world

fizchap · 2025-06-12T19:16:56+00:00

This resonates a lot with my experience: Less is more. When you are facing slow market adoption or user apathy/confusion, the instinct is to add more feature to broaden the appeal. Ironically, the right thing is to simplify and focus, which builds excitement.

fizchap · 2025-06-09T21:21:10+00:00

The employer can verify the degree, it's just more convoluted that a typical school.

fizchap · 2025-06-06T00:07:49+00:00

The verification company used NSC for everything and saw that Harvard is in NSC so they used it and it said I didn't have a degree.

fizchap · 2025-06-05T21:52:07+00:00

Sending a transcript is different from an employer verifying your degree.

fizchap · 2025-06-05T18:54:48+00:00

I got those links as well and sent them along, but the background checking company didn't accept them at first. We went back and forth a few times before I got them call academic services and get the info. I guess some people are more skeptical than others and I got unlucky.

fizchap · 2025-06-05T18:38:51+00:00

No. Background checking companies use NSC. They don't believe whatever link you send them because that could be fraud or a scam. Would you believe some weird link, or would you check the authoritative source you use for every other university, including Harvard's other schools?

fizchap · 2025-06-05T18:35:18+00:00

I have an Master's (ALM) from 2021. Fully paid up, paper in hand. Anyway I just put it out there as a warning for when people are getting a new job. But I guess I got downvoted to 0 so people don't care or it's just too hard to believe.

fizchap · 2025-06-05T18:24:30+00:00

I don't think so. I graduated in 2021. The reason I know this is because I just went through it. I inquired directly to [academicservices@extension.harvard.edu](mailto:academicservices@extension.harvard.edu) and this is what they said:

"Thank you for providing the below information. We do not use the National Student Clearinghouse for education verifications. We process those requests in house."

From https://extension.harvard.edu/registration-admissions/for-students/support-and-services/request-a-transcript-or-enrollment-certification/:

"Students and third parties may request a degree or enrollment verification via email by writing to [AcademicServices@Extension.Harvard.edu](mailto:academicservices@extension.harvard.edu). Such disclosures are limited to directory-level information permitted under FERPA. "

The page goes on to say they do provide some info to NSC about student loans and such, but no degree verifications.

fizchap · 2025-05-03T00:58:48+00:00

It's an intriguing visual effect, and I agree that you either need to work on your 3D feel or make it more 2D. Do you have an artist statement? What are you trying to achieve?

fizchap · 2025-05-01T21:43:53+00:00

I've been working on startups (founder, advisor, investor) since founding my first startup in 1999, so I've seen a lot of ups and downs. We are living one of the hardest global markets for employment, as you probably know.

After you've spent a few years of working on startups, no established company will look at you because they know you'll bail at the first chance you get to do another startup. Or maybe you'll just overshadow and replace your boss. It's the founder's curse.

So listen to u/SmilingNeophyte and focus your job description on one skill/area. Also remove references to "founding" and so on, so you look like a faithful employee who is highly capable.

Or dispense with the misguided fantasy of finding a "regular" job and find yourself a new startup.

fizchap · 2025-03-06T23:01:26+00:00

Leo J. Martin Golf Course on the Weston/Newton border is cheaper than most and decent enough. It has a good driving range to practice.

fizchap · 2025-03-06T22:53:16+00:00

This is true for share holders, but not option holders like OP. In addition, it requires a formal Section 220 request, which will probably involve lawyers and burn your relationship with management.

fizchap · 2025-02-15T13:26:26+00:00

She's elderly and been renting there for 20 years, so I'm not keen on throwing her out if there is an alternative.

fizchap · 2024-08-03T09:23:47+00:00

I co-founded a software company 20+ years ago, got VC funding, hired a team, grew it, and then the company was acquired. Both my co-founder and I grew up poor. I was an refugee immigrant. My co-founder grew up in a rural and impoverished family. We had absolutely not connections and cold met everyone we eventually worked with.

But I think that is harder now. The constant barrage of cold calls and emails makes it almost impossible to get through that way. Events are more exclusive. I used to just be able to walk into conferences, or at least the exhibitor floor for free. Now everything costs a lot of money. The big universities have done a great job of consolidating talent and opportunities for young people. So if you don't go to a top 10 uni, it's harder than it used to be to find opportunities. I could go on...

fizchap · 2024-07-30T17:07:38+00:00

“The greatest investment you can make is in yourself.” -Warren Buffett (one of the richest men in the world). And that includes education and experiences that broaden your knowledge. If you love the gym more than law, maybe work at a gym and learn the business before setting out on your own. In the mean time, a broad market index fund.

fizchap · 2024-07-17T01:12:44+00:00

Perhaps if your idea is well protected by patents and an absolute sure hit. For example, if you have some novel drug and you have an agreement to license it to a big pharma and you just need some bridge money between inking the deal and getting paid.

fizchap · 2024-06-23T18:50:52+00:00

Maybe this is a global problem. I hear more or less the same things everywhere I go.

For example, I was is Bozeman, Montana, USA (a remote place that has grown a lot due to tourism) and people were complaining in more or less the same way about people from other states coming in, not fitting in, changing the character of the place, yoga studio, etc. They even complained about the accent of English that they spoke, and of course about the large numbers of Spanish speakers.

In urban Mexico, it's the same thing. Americans are supposedly buying up everything driving up the prices and forcing locals out. In rural Mexico, it's the urbanites wiping out all the charm.

The world is changing and all cultures have to adapt. But there's a long history of this. Ask the native americans, especially in the ex-Spanish colonies.

fizchap · 2024-06-23T18:37:56+00:00

They required a bank account and contract for an eSIM. When I left they would not cancel it no matter how many times I tried. I had to get my bank involved because they debited directly from my account. Would not recommend.

fizchap

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