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Why I regret joining a late-stage startup

by Ian Chong·October 25, 2025

Startup perks without startup ownership. Culture was already corporate. Equity was diluted. Growth slowed. The honeymoon period of early-stage had passed. I wanted the excitement — it wasn't there anymore.

#startup#late-stage#equity#culture#career
178 upvotes2 comments

Comments (2)

Fred Tan69

Series B or C is when the startup culture really starts to ossify. Join early or join after it becomes stable corporate.

Izzah Nor54

The equity dilution at late stage is severe. Do the maths on preference shares versus common stock before joining.