A post on X by Tanu Singh has prompted a wider conversation among young professionals about where early-career employees learn fastest. Singh, who moved from a multinational company to a startup, argued that working directly alongside a founder has given her far more insight into how businesses are built.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, Singh contrasted the layered approval process she experienced at an MNC with the direct access she now has at a startup, and urged people in their early 20s to weigh that difference when choosing jobs.
Life Behind Layers of Management
Singh said that for the first two years of her career she never worked closely with a founder. Any idea she had needed to go through a manager before it could reach the people making decisions.
Whether those ideas progressed, she suggested, often came down to circumstance rather than merit. That distance meant she rarely saw how choices were actually made at the top.
A Different Rhythm at the Startup
At her current startup, Singh works directly with a founder who has spent more than 20 years building businesses. She described the atmosphere as markedly different from her previous workplace.
In daily conversations, the reasoning behind ideas is openly challenged and the practical steps for carrying them out are debated. Singh said this exposure turns nearly every exchange into a chance to learn how decisions are formed and evaluated.
Advice for Professionals in Their Early 20s
Singh framed her experience as guidance for others starting out. "In your early 20s, being close to the people building is the real fast track," she wrote.
She suggested young employees consider spending their next four to five years in settings where they can interact directly with founders and decision-makers. Multinational roles, in her view, can wait until later in a career.
Other Professionals Weigh In
The post drew responses from others who shared similar experiences. Several pointed to the quicker feedback and faster decision-making that smaller teams tend to offer.
One user said proximity to a founder helps employees follow the path from an early idea to a decision and then to a real product change. Another noted that small teams shorten feedback loops, so staff see decisions take shape instead of simply receiving instructions.
A third described an even quicker cycle, saying ideas at their workplace are discussed directly and someone might start building them the same afternoon.
What the Discussion Means for Startups and Job Seekers
The exchange reflects a familiar trade-off between large companies, which typically offer structure and stability, and startups, which can offer broader exposure and faster learning. Singh's post highlights how much access to leadership shapes the second half of that equation.
For founders, the conversation is a reminder that direct mentorship can be a meaningful draw when competing for early-career talent against bigger employers. For job seekers, it suggests that proximity to decision-making is worth weighing alongside pay, brand and security when choosing a first or second role.
Source: Moneycontrol.com
