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Startup Careers Series - #1

Is it normal to feel like you’re figuring everything out on your own?

We join a startup expecting to learn fast, we’re told we’ll have ownership, that we’ll grow quickly, and be exposed to things we wouldn’t see elsewhere, and that’s true. But what no one tells us is this: we’re also expected to figure things out on our own, without clear guidance, structured feedback, or anyone really showing us how things should be done. So we start asking ourselves, "Is this normal, or am I just not getting the support I need?". The issue is not that we’re incapable, and it’s not necessarily that the company doesn’t care; the reality is that in many startups, growth is expected to be self-driven, but it’s not supported by a system that enables it.

Why does the environment feel so unstructured?

In early-stage or fast-growing environments, managers are often overwhelmed and many are managing for the first time. Coaching is inconsistent, feedback is reactive, and development is rarely intentional. The focus is on shipping, solving urgent problems, and keeping the business moving; not on building learning frameworks or consistent mentorship. As a result, learning becomes accidental, feedback becomes sporadic, and growth becomes unclear. We’re not lacking direction because we’re doing something wrong, we’re operating in a system that was not designed to guide us.

What should you do if no one is guiding your growth?

This is the shift most people don’t make: if your environment does not provide structured guidance, you need to decide whether you will build your own, or change environments.

Recognising this is important, but the responsibility still sits with you. Because without feedback and direction, you risk reinforcing the wrong habits, mistaking activity for progress, and staying busy without actually developing. If you choose to stay, growth cannot be left to chance. Create your own feedback loops, understand what is truly valued by observing what gets recognised, and seek targeted input rather than general reassurance. In environments where development is not structured, you cannot rely on the company to define your progress, you have to define it yourself.

Startups can accelerate your growth, but only if that growth is intentional. Because when everything is unstructured, those who grow are not the ones who work the most, they are the ones who learn the most deliberately.