The thing about startups — A new kid on the block

When you’re working amongst all the suits in the city you sit there and think about the world of startups. A world where everyone wears jeans and has creative chats on brightly coloured soft furnishings and sips on artisan coffee in meetings… The cliché. Joking aside there is obviously so much more; the good, the fascinating and the challenging.

This is what I have discovered in my first three weeks at Episode 1…

1 — Every day is a school day

Here at Episode 1 you are surrounded by very bright people. The team have some impressive CVs and a track record of growing some fantastic companies (check them out here — they are paying me after all!) The bright entrepreneurs that I see come through our doors on a daily basis, people in their early 20’s… they astound you and it really makes you (well, me) think… what on earth was I doing when I was 22 and why on earth didn’t I think of that?!

These people are solution driven, creative, forward thinking and not scared to explore new ideas and concepts. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying there are not some bright minds in the city, but it takes something different to be an entrepreneur; a fundamental desire to be in charge of your own destiny, even change the world perhaps. Who wouldn’t want to be close to that?

2 — The responsibility is on you

Working in a small startup or any small firm is a fantastic opportunity to grow yourself, to learn new things and to make an impact. However, the scary thing is ‘the responsibility is on you’, there are no huge teams to back you up, no team of 50 IT guys in the basement (whose names you will never know) to help you set up fibre in the new office (don’t ask!) You must try and sort it, you must be proactive. This can open up so many doors but it leads me to my next point…

3 — There is nowhere to hide

Your successes are out there for all to see. You have made things your own and you can be proud of your own achievement, no matter how big or small. Everyone has their own roles and part to play. Sometimes you may have many roles; I am currently events, marketing, comms and chief new office mover, which involves many scary interior design decisions (eeek…) Keeping different personalities and tastes happy can be challenging (as can fighting with suppliers) It’s exciting though — no day is the same here at Episode 1.

Where there are highs there sadly must be lows. Failure in things is inevitable, but surrounding yourself with the right and bright people will help you learn and grow in skills and confidence.

They did not get to where they are without a few peaks and troughs!

4 — The lingo can sometimes be pure madness…

“We did a bunch of refactoring to address the heisenbug — the potential production fires would have been outer worldly”

Say what? What on earth does that do? Why do we need that?

I am hoping this will all become clear…

5 — It is creative, it is forward thinking

We are soon moving into our own, shiny, creative space!

• Yes, we do have fancy coffee (the actual beast — inset)
• Yes, I am wearing jeans while I write this
• Yes, there are comfy, trendy seats
• Yes, working remotely is acceptable and its benefits are understood
• Yes, we use technology to enhance our work and our work life balance
• Yes, I have become my cliché…

Keep an eye out and read our blogs and newsletters for exciting news, views and things to come

• New companies on fund 2
• New office space
• New branding

We have two bright and breezy new meeting rooms, and we need to give them names, there are currently some interesting ideas trending such as Blur & Oasis …. Brexit & Brussels. I think we need help!

Please tweet us @Episode1VC Or me @Leah_martn

www.episode1.com #startups #seedtoseriesA