As a person who wants to work for a startup, what does it mean to have a "startup mindset"?

I figure out this should be the best place to ask the question but feel free to move it if think it's necessary.

I was reading a job offer for a software developer position. Nothing really out of the ordinary in the job description: your technical skills, your people skills, prior experience in the same field.

And then: you need to have a startup mindset.

When you read something like this, where do you find the right definition? The company I'm talking about is already pretty famous and it's been in the business for almost 4 years.

So what is it? Does it mean you need to think out of the box? Does it mean that you have to be really adaptable to new situations (and probably involving a change of requirements for a certain feature)? Does it mean it's not a 9am-6pm job? Does it mean that part of your pay is in stock option? Does it mean it's an agile environment?

I'm asking this because, to me, a every startup is really unique when it comes on how it's born and the workplace, so giving a generic requirement of "startup mindset" is really something that puzzles me.

You are right telling:

to me, a every startup is really unique when it comes on how it's born and the workplace, so giving a generic requirement of "startup mindset" is really something that puzzles me. It is already difficult to have a "correct" definition of startup company, so surely, concerning the "startup mindset" it would be even harder to find a "generic definition".

When you find such a requirement in the job offer, it often makes reference to :

• unstable and very dynamic environment (tasks, working hours)
• no job security and risky environment from business point of view
• you will need an enterpreneurial spirit

IMHO, this kind of requirement is also used as a filter to avoid the "Deloitte & other Big 4 like" candidates, people who want rules, clear hierarchy (to see how to rise) & 9 to 5 job...