Since then I have worked for major corporations and always found it incredibly difficult to stay with them for very long. I haven't hopped to get better pay … in fact I've many times over taken a pay cut just to get out of the stuffy and stale world of a major office building where you are nothing more to the employer than a number.

My argument would be that startups need passionate people like me that will stay with a company because they truly believe in what they are doing. That doesn't mean a non-job hopper couldn't be just as passionate … it just means in my opinion that startups should focus more on the strengths and commitment someone might have with their particular company and less on how long someone has managed to truck through a job they are bored with. I would argue also that if you've made it past the 1 year mark with a company you should be looking seriously at if you feel you can stay there long term or if you are just going through the motions. To me a career is something you care deeply about, and corporate drones have no ability to achieve this.

Since then I have worked for major corporations and always found it incredibly difficult to stay with them for very long. I haven't hopped to get better pay … in fact I've many times over taken a pay cut just to get out of the stuffy and stale world of a major office building where you are nothing more to the employer than a number.

My argument would be that startups need passionate people like me that will stay with a company because they truly believe in what they are doing. That doesn't mean a non-job hopper couldn't be just as passionate … it just means in my opinion that startups should focus more on the strengths and commitment someone might have with their particular company and less on how long someone has managed to truck through a job they are bored with. I would argue also that if you've made it past the 1 year mark with a company you should be looking seriously at if you feel you can stay there long term or if you are just going through the motions. To me a career is something you care deeply about, and corporate drones have no ability to achieve this.

Do you honestly think your company is in it for anyone but themselves? I have worked for 2 large companies the last 5 years and I can promise, they are looking out for themselves only. As soon as they think they can save money by getting rid of you, or there's someone better, or you are no longer useful to them, you are gone. Loyalty is a two way street and you shouldn't expect employees to stick with a company, passing on better opportunities when their company would get rid of them at the drop of a hat for financial or other reasons.

Do you honestly think your company is in it for anyone but themselves? I have worked for 2 large companies the last 5 years and I can promise, they are looking out for themselves only. As soon as they think they can save money by getting rid of you, or there's someone better, or you are no longer useful to them, you are gone. Loyalty is a two way street and you shouldn't expect employees to stick with a company, passing on better opportunities when their company would get rid of them at the drop of a hat for financial or other reasons.

I would probably fit your definition of a job hopper. I've had a number of jobs, the shortest of which was 7 months (I was trying out a new function post business school) and the longest of which was almost 4 years. In general, I think your core premise is right – if someone moves around a lot, they're likely to keep moving. It's up to the employer as to whether he or she wants to investigate the reason for all of the mobility.

I just left a company that was sold – I had been at the company for 18 months when the deal closed. I had no intention of leaving had we remained independent. What was different about this company (and a few others where I've worked and stayed)? It's pretty simple – it really comes down to people. Look, most startups don't work out. On average, if you leave and you think the company is doomed, you're probably right – you're staying probably won't change the fate of the enterprise. The most surprising insight that can come to most job hoppers is to come to work one day and realize that the company might not live up to its grand dreams and expectations and still want to be there. That usually only happens where you find a place where you fit in and like the people as much or more than the you like the business or the idea. That's not just a startup thing, that's a work thing – good culture and good co-workers can make even a mediocre job feel like a place you want to be. You can't really observer that a priori in all cases. But when you find it, it can be highly illuminating for those who are accustomed to bolting when it appears things won't end well. I think you need to have an experience or two like that to shake the urge to bolt.

One more tip for my job hopping friends. Every now and then, just commit to staying. Even if you know things won't work, stick around. If you have options to jump today, you'll have options to jump in 6 months as well unless the company you're in is engaging in fraud. The thing you miss out on by bolting as soon as things get bad is the opportunity to learn about people. You learn a lot about your colleagues, management, the board, and everyone involved in the company when things get bumpy. You learn a lot about which people you'd want to work with in your next startup when the chips are down.

For what it's worth, if you know the startup isn't going to work and you don't love the people, you won't stay. If you're on the fence, stay every now and then – you'll learn a lot about yourself and the startup process.

I would probably fit your definition of a job hopper. I've had a number of jobs, the shortest of which was 7 months (I was trying out a new function post business school) and the longest of which was almost 4 years. In general, I think your core premise is right – if someone moves around a lot, they're likely to keep moving. It's up to the employer as to whether he or she wants to investigate the reason for all of the mobility.

I just left a company that was sold – I had been at the company for 18 months when the deal closed. I had no intention of leaving had we remained independent. What was different about this company (and a few others where I've worked and stayed)? It's pretty simple – it really comes down to people. Look, most startups don't work out. On average, if you leave and you think the company is doomed, you're probably right – you're staying probably won't change the fate of the enterprise. The most surprising insight that can come to most job hoppers is to come to work one day and realize that the company might not live up to its grand dreams and expectations and still want to be there. That usually only happens where you find a place where you fit in and like the people as much or more than the you like the business or the idea. That's not just a startup thing, that's a work thing – good culture and good co-workers can make even a mediocre job feel like a place you want to be. You can't really observer that a priori in all cases. But when you find it, it can be highly illuminating for those who are accustomed to bolting when it appears things won't end well. I think you need to have an experience or two like that to shake the urge to bolt.

One more tip for my job hopping friends. Every now and then, just commit to staying. Even if you know things won't work, stick around. If you have options to jump today, you'll have options to jump in 6 months as well unless the company you're in is engaging in fraud. The thing you miss out on by bolting as soon as things get bad is the opportunity to learn about people. You learn a lot about your colleagues, management, the board, and everyone involved in the company when things get bumpy. You learn a lot about which people you'd want to work with in your next startup when the chips are down.

For what it's worth, if you know the startup isn't going to work and you don't love the people, you won't stay. If you're on the fence, stay every now and then – you'll learn a lot about yourself and the startup process.