The biggest lie startups tell during hiring is “We have a lot of problems, and you can pick whatever you want to solve.”
It sounds great. It plays directly to what we engineers love - autonomy, impact, and ownership. But here’s the reality - this almost never happens. When a startup says this, it usually means one of two things:
- A lack of clarity in leadership
- They are just trying to lure you in
Even in the rare case where you get some freedom, your work still has to align with business goals, product timelines, and team priorities. You will likely be working on whatever the product needs immediately, which is okay, but …
Most of these companies are in constant firefighting mode, so you might never have time to pull off what you wanted to.
And honestly, if a company really lets you work on “whatever,” that is a red flag. It signals a lack of direction, focus, or urgency. Good leadership does not offer infinite choice; it offers clarity and purpose. There is always a north star that is being chased.
Do not fall for startups without looking under the hood. Assess the clarity of their roadmap, the strength of their leadership, and how decisions are made. Ask,
- What is the team working on right now?
- What are the top priorities this quarter?
- How do you decide what gets built?
A succinct way to put it is - do not get sold on freedom, get sold on focus.