Perception vs. Reality of Startup Life

The digital media industry has a startup fetish.  We are obsessed with startups: We idealize them, sing their praises and envision them to be cool places where young people hang out in posh digs and come up with innovative ideas while playing ping pong or practicing yoga in the serenity room. But it’s time to get real. Most startups aren’t these modern, tricked out, luxurious office environments that we imagine them to be — unless they’ve gotten some serious funding. For the most part, startups aren’t so glamorous. Hey, I mean, I remember when Digiday was me sitting in a one-desk office in a shared office space.

Here are some pictures that illustrate the perception versus the reality of startup conditions. If your office looks like the “perception” images, then good for you! Living the dream. For the rest, yeah, we feel you.