As CEO for a disruptive, fast growing startup, I constantly hear from job seekers eager to join the team. Many applicants try to stand out in the process–connecting on LinkedIn, tweeting me, or, in some cases, sending a signature required FedEx package. (As a side note: While I appreciate these candidates’ creativity and initiative, the Betterment team looks at every resume submitted via email. We’re maniacal about finding and hiring ridiculously talented people.)

Imagine my shock when a bright, young professional at a fortune 500 company told me he thought working at a startup would be “career suicide.” I met him at an industry event and quickly saw that he fit the profile of the type of candidate we are always looking for: driven, innovative, and able to execute. What’s the danger candidates like this see at a startup?

Leaving a big company for a startup, he told me, would be a great move if that startup went on to be Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or any of the other Cinderella stories we all love hearing about. The reality, he correctly pointed out, is that most startups fail. In his mind, this meant that the employees were left to start over–a risk that would derail the traditional career path from associate to manager to corner office.

There’s no doubt that when you go to a startup, you turn your back on the traditional career path. But, the perception of what you lose when you leave a safe, stable company is far from the reality.

Here are three common concerns–largely misconceptions–and my reactions to them:

1) You don’t have mentors or teachers at a startup.