"I'd rather be exhausted and excited than comfortable and withering"

Kendall Rankin joined LinkedIn's business leadership program after graduating in 2018, then became a customer success analyst. LinkedIn's perks were amazing — free meals, health funds, 401k matching, stock options. Usually off by 4:30pm, and on remote days, she could finish in 4-6 hours.

But she started feeling these perks were "golden handcuffs." "I kept asking myself: 'What's next?' The work was repetitive, growth opportunities limited."

After her MBA in 2024, she turned down multiple big tech offers and joined an AI music startup called Producer.ai as community and operations manager. "Every day is exciting now, but not easy." Work hours stretch from morning to night, weekends on-call.

Surprisingly, the startup pays more than LinkedIn — nearly double. "Startups invest in you when they believe you can create value."

"Your 20s are for taking risks. I'd rather be exhausted and excited than comfortable and withering."