How to Think Like a VC When Evaluating a Startup Role

You should approach a job offer with the same rigor a venture capitalist uses to decide whether to write a check. The article walks through the recruiter message, interviews, and the final offer, reminding you that joining a startup is a bet of time, focus, and reputation, not just a salary. It frames the decision as an investment that requires systematic scrutiny. The first line of inquiry is the market: is the space growing or just a trendy buzzword? The piece shows how to estimate total addressable market, use AI to sanity-check assumptions, and gauge whether the market tailwinds justify a bet. Next, it turns to the team. It advises you to dig into the founders' backgrounds, early hires, culture signals, and turnover rates, asking concrete questions about decision-making, conflict handling, and learning speed. The article then forces you to validate the business model: is the product a painkiller or a vitamin, what's the revenue pipeline, who pays, and how solid is the runway. Finally, it breaks down the offer itself-valuation, equity percentage, dilution risk, and personal trade-offs-so you can decide if the deal matches your career goals and risk tolerance.