Startups, Employees, and Growth: (Some) Advice from SE Asia
The best companies can generate revenue and goodwill among employees. Here are some thoughts on why…
Monk’s Hill Ventures recently hosted an event at TrueSphere in Bangkok featuring Araya Hutasuwan (Snapcart) and Amarit Charoenphan (HUBBA). This event, simply billed as “a conversation”, didn’t seem to have a theme, but Araya and Amarit did share their insights on managing company culture and employee engagement during a startup’s growth stage.
We all implicitly know that alienating behavior isn’t a sustainable way to retain your team (or keep your position), but many executives forget (or just ignore) that fact as they deal with the challenges of building something new. While tasks like “clear inbox” or “prepare for investor pitch” can seem more urgent than “evaluate company culture”, leaders need to understand how important it is to maintain a positive, more intentional culture in your company. The outcome of something like “check-in with my colleagues” may not be clear, but when is anything about starting a company really clear?
The workplace should be a place for you to be candid, but the way you express frustration or disappointment can color someone’s experience of working with you, no matter how much (you think) you do for them otherwise. Here are some highlights from the panel:
On burnout and empathy: “We tell founders that [their] team gets more of the brunt of the pain than they do.”
Be a founder, not a micromanager: “If I’m not there to decide, advise, or coach” maybe I don’t need to be there.
On feedback: “One of the basic needs of people is to be important. You can go without giving your employees food for seven days” but not positive feedback.
Happy employees make good brand ambassadors: If we’re not exhibiting collaboration and friendship with the team, “they can’t project that with integrity” to our customers.
Pitch recruits on an experience, not a product: “We’re here as an alliance; we’re here to achieve something together…We don’t expect you to stay forever”. [Note: Amarit shared that some HUBBA employees who have left have transitioned into contract roles while some have even come back.]
You won’t see a list of bullet points here on how to be a good boss because there’s no set list. Each team and team member has different needs and expectations, so how you nurture their development will differ. But know this: if you want to do that well, you have to engage them as respectfully as you would engage a customer or investor. The insights above are guiding principles, but I’ll end with a final word of advice from a friend: “When in doubt, be kind”.
