Pros
I joined Driptech with three reasons; 1) practice my engineering skill, 2) apply Design Thinking/ Lean Startup process to solve real-world problems, and 3) learn more about social entrepreneurship. I got them all while I was at the company. On top of that, being in startup environment, I got to do many different things, which to me, it's a really valuable experience. Seeing Driptech growing from a single-digit number of employees to renting out a huge facility in India, it's unbelievable. Driptech has gone through several phases. But I'm sure its mission/vision hasn't changed.
Cons
At a high level, Driptech's business model is really challenging. Economy of scale is key, for profitability and social impact. In order to scale to that level, it needs tremendous resources. At the same time, if the Mother Nature isn't on its side, that's going to be rough. (Driptech mainly sells drip tapes which are generally used in dry season only.) To add more complexity, at a startup, there's no existing process/system. Employees need to learn and build it, which could be frustrating/confusing sometimes. That said, it's not a generic company that someone can just clock-in, clock-out and wait to climb up a corporate ladder.