I need to get this out of the way before we dive in. I love start-ups. The chaos, the caffeine, the big dreams on a bootstrapped budget — it’s kind of my jam. But even with my shiny optimism and color-coded Trello boards, there were a few challenges that hit me like a slap in the face (which tbh was what the job often felt like- abusive).
Here are 7 things I did not expect when I became a Digital Marketer at a start-up.
1. Someone else taking credit for my work
Watching your ideas get repackaged without so much as a Slack emoji reaction? Not cute. I learned quickly: document everything and find the right moments to advocate for yourself (preferably with receipts).
2. Someone actively excluding me from work
Ngl, this one was kinda funny to me. What do you mean you’re a grown ass adult excluding me from my own work? You would think being the only marketer in the building with corporate experience would mean more involvement, not less. But that was NOT the case.
Suddenly I was out of meetings, off CCs and apparently no longer relevant to the conversation about the project I created. If this happens to you, just know: it says more about their insecurities than your ability.
3. Being Underpaid
I walked in pretty glad with my salary. And then the Head of Payroll accidentally leaked another team’s salaries and I realised I was being pretty underpaid. Start-ups sell you the dream. But dreams don’t pay rent. I would later go on to realise that benefits and salaries differed hugely depending on who you knew.
4. Being Overworked
“We’re like a family!” they said. What they meant was: we work on weekends, reply to emails at midnight and expect miracles before Monday. Wearing 6 hats sounds cute until you’re doing SEO, social, ads, email, and also cleaning up the CRM. Burnout? I know her. In fact, she and I truly are like a family.
5. Having Little to No Structure (but still being told what I did was wrong)
Imagine being dropped into a maze, blindfolded, with no map- and then being told you took the wrong turn. That’s what it feels like when you build a campaign from scratch with zero guidance, only to be told it’s “off-brand” by someone who still hasn’t defined the brand. OR another favourite of mine- “Why didn’t you do XYZ?”
Me: *Does XYZ the next time*
Manager: Why didn’t you do ABC?
6. Coming up with Processes from Scratch
Project management? You. Content workflow? You. Reporting templates? Also you. In a start-up, you’re not just marketing- you’re building the marketing department. It’s empowering, exhausting and kind of exhilarating all at once.
7. Getting in Trouble for not Going Out with the Team… when I wasn’t invited
Imagine finding out that the after-work drinks you weren’t invited to somehow made it onto the reasons-you’re-being-retrenched list. Yep. Apparently, being absent from social plans you didn’t know existed = not a team player. Start-ups can blur the line between social and professional way too much. So if you get a start-up gig, maybe just be mindful of this little tidbit.
Start-up life is not for the faint of heart- especially if you’re a marketer. But every challenge taught me something: resilience, resourcefulness, and when to push back (politely, with a spreadsheet). If you’re in the thick of it, you’re not alone- and if you’re considering diving in? Bring snacks, and maybe a helmet.
Got your own surprise start-up stories? Let’s trauma bond in the comments.
