Working for a startup can be a very stressful enterprise. While it may seem glamorous to those toiling away at a traditional 9 to 5 grind, the reality is a bit starker. Disregard whatever preconceived notions you may have about quitting your job and building something from scratch – this won’t be like working for Facebook or Google. They are well-defined, carefully manicured corporate cultures that defied the odds and did the near impossible: spread their wings and somehow managed to survive and thrive. The reality is that most start-ups don’t make it.

Pull back the rose-colored curtain and look past the casual dress code, impromptu afternoon ping pong tournaments and well-earned after work liquid libations bought on the company credit card. What lies beyond are 16-hour work days and a dizzying array of multitasking hats (which might not necessarily be your style, size or color, but boy-oh-boy you better find a way to make them fit if you want to survive). Along with the demanding work, frantic pace, ever-shifting job duties and overall trial by fire that are hallmarks of life inside a startup, there lie the possibilities of freedom and independence (should the enterprise succeed). These same goals of financial freedom and independence are at the heart of retirement planning goals and expectations.