The million dollar question for many young people today is whether to take an established job, or to chase their dreams in a startup? Having a regular job, confined to a limited number of hours is no bad thing and was created to improve the lives of workers. But slowly, that is becoming the story of the past as more and more young people are taking risks and embracing non-traditional forms of work. Millennials have a level of security not experienced by their predecessors.  The generation we see pursuing traditional 9 to 5 jobs, is the same who have seen their parents suffering as a result of world wars and great depressions in the 1930’s. Choosing security and stability, many kept themselves and their dreams confined to a cubical. But the case is not the same for this generation, especially when technology makes it possible to run a business from the comfort of your own home. Whilst this technological revolution has made things easier for younger generations to launch a business, it has also increased competition. If we look at the evolution of startup in past five years, we clearly see a boom in the numbers. And yet, the number of unsuccessful ventures remains high. Which begs the question, why are so many people choosing this risky route? A friend of mine recently quit his job. He is 30 something, married with children, and has been working in the same white collar job for the past ten years. He has worked in a management position for most of his life, earning a handsome five-figure pay check and many other benefits. When I came to learn he had quit, I was shocked. However, what shook me more was the reason he gave me. He explained the entire scenario in numbers – “I make my way through traffic which sucks my one precious hour in the morning for commuting to Greater Manchester from Bolton. On average, I end up spending 10 hours in a cubicle. And again, one hour or bit more to make my way back home through the city chaos. “Now, 50% of my weekday life is dedicated to growing someone else’s business. I am human; I need 7-8 hours of sleep so we can say, 33% of my weekday life goes in sleeping, taking rest, eating, and doing all that I can so as to replenish my energy to breed someone else’s business. Now, I split this remaining 17% between my wife and children. A little here and there for myself over weekends. So, statistically, I am selling 83% of me just to try and live on my terms in that remaining 17 % of the time I get.” He quit his job and started up a small business – running a coffee shop, happily with his family. This is his story but you can also calculate and write your own, depending on the choices you make and the values you have. Starting a business isn’t for everyone and for many, established positions offer an important level of security and work-life balance. For others, the risks of starting a business are worth the potential rewards. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you choose, both routes have their merits. The most important thing is that millennials have a choice - and perhaps that is the most exciting thing of all.

About the author: Utkarsh Tiwari is a Vice President and business strategist at Peerbits, one of the top ios app development companies that delivers high-end mobile app solutions to Startups, SMEs, and Enterprises.