How to Get Sh*t Done While Working at a Startup

Learn The Top 3 Techniques I Use to Stay Focused As a Startup Employee

Working at a startup can be hectic to say the least. Not only do you have to juggle multiple projects and fast-approaching deadlines at once, but nearly every day a new “extremely urgent” project (that’s just as urgent as the other five items you have on your to-do list, of course) seems to surface. Just when you’re getting excited about having two hours to get ahead on your blog articles, the CEO tells you that he needs you to help him create a powerpoint presentation for a pitch he’s going to do… tomorrow at 8:30am.

A few months into my first job at a startup I found myself managing many huge projects that were in full swing at the same time. My team was being pulled in multiple directions, meaning we were spread so thin that none of our projects were receiving the attention or care they needed. I implemented three major changes in the way that I work that continue to help me get sh*t done and stay focused while working at a fast-paced, high-intensity startup.

1. Constantly Prioritize With a 30/60/90-Day Plan

Make sure that you are clear on which projects are most important by prioritizing your to-do list on a daily and monthly basis. At the beginning of each month I make a 30/60/90-day plan with the major things that need to get done during the next one, two and three months, and I put them in order of importance. Then each morning I take stock of my day and select the projects I’m going to focus on for that day.

You’ll want to involve your boss in this process; in addition to the revision you do on your own each day, at the beginning of each month you should go over your 30/60/90-day plan with your manager and make sure you are on the same page in terms of what will add the highest value to her and the rest of the team.

2. Schedule Blackout Hours for Big Projects

Block out certain hours in your day that you will dedicate to important projects you are working on. The idea is to allocate one to three “blackout hours” each day during which you can blast through big-win to-do’s without distractions. If you’re managing a team, make sure they know you are not available during those hours so that they don’t come to you with questions. Even better—if the company you work for allows it—work from home or go to a coffee shop during your blackout hours so that you won’t be distracted by colleagues and office chatter. And try as hard as you can to not schedule meetings with your coworkers during this time.

3. Don’t Try to Do It All at Once

One of the reasons working at a startup is so fun and exhilarating is that you often have the opportunity to build major areas of the company from the ground up, which allows for large amounts of creative freedom. But this also means that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done, and it’s often tempting to try to do it all at once. If you’re not careful you’ll end up like me when I first started working at a startup: with a mountain of projects open simultaneously and none of them actually getting completed.

Nowadays my general rule is to try as hard as I can to not have more than three projects open at once, although all startup employees know this is impossible to maintain 100% of the time.No matter how many open projects you have on your plate, dedicate chunks of time to each one and try to get as close to finishing the most important project entirely before moving on to the next. This is challenging, but if you commit yourself to finishing one project before starting the next, you’ll be amazed at how much more in control you feel.

Tip: If your boss hits you with a new project that is not on the list you agreed upon, ask her what the priority of this project is and how it fits into the 30/60/90-day plan. Remind her politely that taking on a new project will set others on the list back.