Practically half of Dublin is now working in some form of a start-up.

Whether it's a tech start-up based in an innovation hub, a cool new food venture or an app just getting off the ground, we're surrounded by deadly new businesses at the moment.

As anyone lucky (or unlucky enough!) to work in a start-up will tell you - it's not like working for your average company. In fact, it's worlds apart...

So here are 22 things that you'll recognise if you're fully submerged in #startuplife.

1. Spending your life surrounded by mismatched furniture 

And always wanting to sit in the good chair during team meetings.

2. Thinking absoultely nothing of staying in 'til 9pm a few nights a week

By which we mean every night.

3. Never having milk in the fridge when you need it most

4. A gimmick that no-one ever uses

Oh that pool table? It's there to make us look cool.

5. Having a great disdain for the big tech companies 

"All that money and all that free food! Nah man. Wait... are they hiring?"

6. Genuinely believing in your brand

And boring your friends about it.

7. Knowing that free food happens rarely but when it does it's golden

Them folk in Google don't appreciate it like we do.

8. The sheer ecstasy of small wins 

"BOOM!"

9. The lightbulb going in the bathroom and wondering who'll replace it

Or instead, peeing in darkness for four months.

10. Buying coffees for the ENTIRE office being a thing you can really do

Sure it's only a tenner!

11. Casual Friday beers occasionally getting out of hand

And the guys in The Old Spot knowing you by name.

12. Rarely (never) communicating in person

Slack FTW.

13. It being a HUGE deal when you take a whole new person joins the team

It's like getting a new sibling to play with!

14. Becoming obsessed with something you'd previously never heard of called a 'funding round'

15. Not remembering what a desktop computer looks like anymore

16. Having a to-do list that gets bigger every day… and loving it

17. Your co-workers becoming far too prominent in your life

Constant communication during the work day via Slack, email and gchat, and evening lols on the company WhatsApp group, obvs.

18. It being a HUGE DEAL when you get a cleaner

#madeit

19. You get every single joke made on Silicon Valley

20. Being used to bizarre work titles

"Hey, I'm the Chief Officer Of Dreams"

21. The constant need for endless cups of caffeine. Not coffee, just pure caffeine

22. And finally, the fact that no matter how many obstacles you encounter, you know within your heart of hearts that all this is going to be a success

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