Dangers of working for a Start-Up Company

I was 9 years old when I first got paid for work. I sold groundnut for my Primary Four Teacher and got paid with one groundnut,ten or twenty naira a day(depending on the day). Then the first time I earned money for myself was in Uni,I made a girl up and charged her for it. Then it spilled into a part-time thing I did whenever there was an event and I also sold Vintage Shirts on the side. Point is I’ve always liked to work and when I like what I do in addition to it paying;I like it even more.

I got employed months before the end of my service year. The company sold computing accessories and I was their Social Media Manager at the time,I have to say that I got the job 4 days after my birthday that year and it was given to me on the spot(yes this is a brag). I enjoyed it.
I figured,its just social media what could be difficult about it and just like most things in my life;I got bored at a point.

The next year,I worked really briefly for a media company and oh boy may I not put a name to this organisation because their operating system was just a mess.
I resigned.

The following week I got a better job and I thought to myself when I went for the interview- I like this place;I’d love to work here. I’ve learnt some major things being under them and it weighs on both good and bad. Our topic today ‘The dangers of working for a Start-up company in Nigeria’ would dabble into the challenges young graduates/workers endure in order to keep life afloat and just like my other post,this is based on my personal experience but most importantly in agreement with other young graduates.
I put up this question on my social media and my friends, then got some answers I’d like to share,so please read on(PS- For the purpose of having a brief post,I’d list out some and explain the others)

Over work their staff- Over 50% of the responses I received mentioned this as one of their problems-‘I work my butt off,do extra hours but never get acknowledged for it,talk more of extra pay for these hours'(Anonymous). Most of these companies just like the one I resigned from last year,would gladly set goals/targets to be met without a thought. First ask yourself,can I as an employer do what I ask/expect of my employee?,some Job description and requirements are definitely ridiculous,sickening and shameful when measured with remuneration. Target and Remuneration range does not even come close. Ridiculous!. That’s what it is. So now we have an over worked staff, little or no pay,plenty of targets to be met and yet still criticized by the ‘HR’ that you have a ‘vibe’ or not excited to work. How do you expect someone to work in such conditions?
Working under an emotional abusive Boss- This right here could never be over-emphasized and it only takes a primary experience to really understand the tolls it has on one’s self. I worked for one for a couple months and I had to take a bow. I think not a lot of people realize what word of mouth does to morale especially in a work environment. You know how you take a pic and when you post it up,you have your best pals reposting it and sending you messages just hyping it and then you think damn! I am Fuiiinnneee aren’t I? LMAO. Yes, and just as good hype gets us feeling special, bad talk darkens everything and surprisingly or maybe not;this happens a lot in companies(big or small). People are just putting you down especially the ones ahead of you professionally or he/she is straight your boss. It is exhausting to work for someone that expects you to stroke his/her ego on a daily basis. I have never been attracted to the typical corporate world and honestly I am holding on to my present because I need the money and I like working for them(to an understandable extent) which is why I avoid personal relationships at work or getting to familiar with a boss especially if he/she is lousy before my dirty laundry is aired out because of anger.
Increase in mnimum wage does not affect your salary(practically,almost nothing affects the increment of your salary)
Threat of being Unemployed directly/indirectly from your Boss
Don’t keep to working hours- I over heard a middle aged colleague last week asking our C.O.O why we don’t stay behind when they haven’t left. The C.O.O responds-Its this generation,when I started working and my Boss was around,we dare not say we are leaving even if it is 9pm. First of all Sir,thank you for acknowledging that this is a new generation and secondly(importantly),we have an agreed closing time on our contracts and since you want me keeping to everything on it,why can’t I keep to 4pm as my time of daily leave? Choosing to oppose an agreement because it isn’t convenient to you or just as I mentioned before wanting your ego stroked is unprofessional and narcissistic. At the end of the day,it creates a pretentious work environment.
They don’t care or show empathy

You think of other options I didn’t mention all the disadvantages? How about you leave a comment below,letting me know what I left out.