I'm lucky in that the startup is fairly mature and encourages a good work balance, but yeah, I don't want it to be an 8 to 5 gig either. One of the reasons I want to join is that I think the vision is something I can dedicate myself to, which I feel less likely to want to do at Google.
Again, thanks for the advice, I really, really appreciate this and your other comment.
To give some more context, the "startup" I'm considering isn't really so much a 5-10 person bootstrapped startup as it is a company like Dropbox, Square, Airbnb, etc.
So it's a fairly successful startup with really cool people and problems, it's well-funded, it's on a path to profitability, and it does pay a competitive base salary -- it's just not profitable right now and so doesn't offer the massive bonuses that Google does.
Thanks! If I understand correctly, I should get a one-time official OK in writing before I join, and then I use my own judgment when deciding to do some consulting (to make sure there's no conflicts of interest)? Or do I get an official OK in writing before every gig?
This is what my non-compete clause roughly says:
Duty not to compete: My work at the company requires my undivided attention. I will not, without the company's written consent, engage in any other business that directly competes with the company, uses any of the company's materials, or otherwise conflicts with the company's business interests.
Again, thanks for the advice, I really, really appreciate this and your other comment.