First read: Part 2 - No Bullshit.

Decisions

Now I had a choice. There were many appealing points about both offers.

Health Startup

• Pro: Early stage startup with exposure to business decisions
• Pro: Small team with people I really liked
• Pro: Freedom to experiment and own technology decisions

N26

• Pro: Proven business with positive momentum
• Pro: Large engineering team with processes at scale
• Pro: Team of iOS developers to learn and share with

Salaries were essentially equal, office locations were both great, and I genuinely liked all the people I met during each of the interviews.

I had a difficult decision to make.

Envision Your Future

I imagined myself working at both companies and took some time to focus on what I was most looking for at this stage in my life. I came up with a list…

• Hone engineering skills
• Work on a product that people love to use
• Do something that makes a positive impact
• Work with talented, friendly people who I would want to socialise with

I stared at the list, and kept finding myself returning to the bank. I felt hesitant about committing to a small startup. My time at Outware Mobile was a wonderful journey from 2 employees to over 50 (there are hundreds of Outwarians now). But I realised that the next time I embark on a startup voyage, I want my title to to contain the words Chief & Officer - more than a crew member.

Rejection & Acceptance

I wrote a very honest email to the health startup, hoping they would understand my decision. It was not easy. I felt guilty saying no after such a positive interview process. It was a lot like the “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation that frequently occurs when dating.

I also wrote to the internal recruiter at N26 and happily accepted their offer. Since accepting I’ve been proud to tell people about my new employer. I can’t wait to start the next chapter in my career!