Lifestyle or supernova ?

How do you find the right kind of high tech start-up to create/work for ?

There are a couple of common types:-

• Service: Take existing businesses to new distribution channels, eg the Internet and use it to take the service to a new level. eg Streetcar, zipcar, cars for hire by the hour. Perfect for the internet. Can be low risk but it's hard to find the business that you can hit out of the park. You can start these in your backroom.
  

• Underlying IP: eg Google, novel search technology or 23andme, novel medical technology. High risk but with strong defendable IP it's possible to hit these businesses out of the part. Generally you need VC or background investment from the inventor for years.
  

The underlying IP businesses can have big exits but are harder to make lifestyle businesses, the kind that earn a decent salary that enables you to do other things with your life.

Of course it's possible to move from one type to the other or merge the types and that is where the innovation junction comes in. If you can do that you might even have a Microsoft on your hands !

I personnally have tried both types and find the fast, furious nature of the product business to be my favourite.

I love working on the supernova type buiness, burning brightly for a short period of time and then moving onto the next one.