The unwritten rules of working at a startup that no one likes to talk about

Biz Carson/Business Insider

When it comes to working at a startup, there are a lot of truths that people rarely talk about. 

Startup life has become shrouded in myth. People think it's a shortcut to the American Dream, a get-rich-quick path.

But for a lot people, startup life is far harsher and more complicated.

What you've heard: You have to "win" an insanely difficult interview process.

What's really true: yes most startups will want you to prove competence for any technical job. But many hot startups do not put their interviews through the wringer.

For instance, startups like Spotify, 23andme, even Snapchat are known to have interview processes that rate as "average" rather than "hard."

What you've heard: To get a job at a cool startup, you have to be a "culture fit."