I think one factor at play is that even if your startup fails, you can almost always fall back on a developer job, which usually pays very well. So yeah it's like playing a lottery, but not spending your last dollar on the ticket.
Even more, having startup experience on your resume is usually a good thing, even if the startup failed.
> having startup experience on your resume is usually a good thing, even if the startup failed.
Yes and no. I've got crap given to me for having "co-founder" on my resume because they thought I was just biding my time until I could restart my company.[1]
Meanwhile, having relocated since college, the network in my geographical area is small.
[1] If you want to say "well you dodged a bullet," great, thanks, but given all the stupid things so many employers do while hiring, I'd rather have a job than the satisfaction of knowing that they made a mistake by not hiring me. I can't eat satisfaction.
Is it? Possibly for a small sub-set of developers or those in SV/SF but for the majority of people having a startup on their CV is suspicious at worst and meh at best.
I would much rather have McKinsey or Deloitte on my CV.
No one else works in startups obviously. Just devs.
By small business I assume you mean self employed within Ltd Companies (LLC) which are small businesses in name only for tax efficiency. So much so the Government is trying to ban the practice with the use of disguised employee declarations.
Even more, having startup experience on your resume is usually a good thing, even if the startup failed.