I'm a recent graduate who wants to start a startup in the near future.

But I need to work in a domain for some time to notice what problems can be solved, build some personal runway, meet people who might be interested in becoming a co-founder/early employee, etc.

My question is, should I work at a startup during this time or work as a freelancer?

Working at a startup before starting my own makes sense but the entrepreneurial me has some reservations about working as an employee.

Initially I thought I'll build a services company first and then a product company but the odds of pulling that off are very low. Most agency owners never get past the agency.

So I have to choose between freelancing and working at a startup.

If anyone has had the same dilemma before or knows what's the right thing to do based on their experience, I would love to get some insights.

Thanks in advance