A startup & I: 5 years, 5 lessons
When I think of a startup it reminds me of ‘SAW’ — the high-speed roller coaster in Thorpe Park, UK. For those of you who don’t know it, it’s a ride that’s characterised by going extremely high and suddenly dropping 90 degrees down in a matter of seconds! You can feel the adrenaline rush hitting you, as go through all the unexpected turns. But, believe it or not, at the end of the ride, you still want more!
So, what happens to your company’s culture when you grow from 10 to 250 employees? How do you react to change, especially when you need to change so quickly? What are the biggest lessons, challenges and failures I have experienced within the last 5 years?
Let’s begin!
#NOBODY KNOWS EVERYTHING, EVERYONE KNOWS SOMETHING:
Here’s the thing — when you work for a startup, you end up doing everything, even if you don’t have experience in that particular area. One day you paint the office walls, the other you run the weirdest marketing guerilla campaigns and the next, you may find yourself answering customer service calls or even being asked to organise events. How does it all makes sense? It doesn’t! Your job description doesn’t really matter. If you’re in, you’re in! Did I also mention you are often just winging it? Yes, that’s right. There is no secret magic button to gain experience, what you have to do is try new things and work hard. Only by working hard, getting feedback, failing and trying again will get you where you want to be. The startup world is often this unknown war-zone where no one knows anything but everyone knows something. Also, a note to self, don’t be afraid to fail, even the most experienced do!
#BUSINESS IDENTITY IS RELATIVE:
Let’s be clear, your company’s identity comes from your founders. However, when you grow from 10 to 250 employees you might start noticing some cultural changes that make that identity fade or change slightly. It sort of makes sense — new employees will bring new culture with them, right? But here’s what you’ll sense and why it may feel a little scary.
You might notice that instead of a ‘we’re all in this together’ mentality you had at the start, various groupings start forming within the organisation; your company’s rituals and traditions may start changing or even fading. And with this, ‘Back in the old days’ are words you may hear people referring to by those who have been in the business from the very beginning.
But panic not, this is normal! According to Yuval Noah Harari, in his book, Sapiens, people can’t bond in larger groups than 150. As individuals, we lose meaningful connections if we try bonding in larger groups. No point in trying to force it.
That’s why hiring the right people and on-boarding properly are crucial elements to guarantee cultural success as you grow. With this I mean, there comes a time where you need to recruit people who will change the culture slightly and also let groups within the business segment a little. Not everyone can be like you and not everyone can stick together when the business gets a certain size…
When you’re growing at a certain rate, it’s not only about cultural fit anymore, it’s about cultural addition. It’s not bad to complement it with new personalities and strengths. After all, one of the greatest perks you can give your employees, is to let them work with other awesome people so that they can observe and grow from each other.
#BUILDING A MOVEMENT, NOT JUST A BRAND:
A well-developed brand creates feelings. For example, a feeling of belonging, trust & affinity. It communicates a specific set of values — trust, unity, spirit and more. But few brands take it a step further to focus on something even more powerful, building a “movement”. In simple terms building a movement means changing societal beliefs and behaviours, while simultaneously selling.
Now let me ask you a question, when was the last time you went to an awesome networking event? What was so good about it? Do you remember everything about what the speaker said or did? Probably not, right? This brings me onto my rule number one of what makes building a movement so powerful: it’s not so much about what you say or do when it comes to a “movement” — it’s about how you make your audience feel.
And with that, I’m not referring to expensive immersive experiences, I’m referring to creating a sense of community. An emotional bond you build with your audience.
Movements only work when you’re trying to solve a common problem together — and that’s your bridge to get everyone into action. It only works when you and your audience have the same shared mission and you want to follow it together. Then everything you do, all the content you use, will inspire, motivate and empower everyone.
We all want to feel part of something that’s bigger than ourselves, where we can make a difference and move the needle on things that matter to us. That’s why building a movement is so powerful. Much more than simply building a brand!
#WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ORDER? EVERYTHING & NOW PLEASE:
Fast growth, speed & high ambitions are typical startup ingredients. But watch out for burnout! Burnouts are dangerous and might cost your company’s culture a fortune.
Always keep this in mind.
I’ve come to realise that there are two types of burnout: One that comes from your passion and care as an employee and another one that comes from your company’s management style and decisions. Ultimately, there is always a thin line between high performance and a burnout. Your people’s energy is limited, so use it wisely.
What’s important in order to achieve this are clear priorities, communication and creating a sense of psychological safety within every team. That is — an environment where your people can feel comfortable and safe to build their own work/ life balance and feel empowered to say ‘no’ when they have to. Don’t rush — you might end up flying too close to the sun and burning your wings.
#THERE IS NO RULE BOOK:
I am sure when Google built their amazing offices and gave these trendy perks to their employees, it worked out very well for them, but other companies must not assume that this is what they need to do too.
The truth is there’s no longer a rule book of how success should look like within a business. There is no book of instructions on how to engage with your employees or improve your company’s culture. It’s different for every organisation. Your book of instructions are your employees. You have to listen to them — and I mean really listen, to achieve success.
Employee experience these days should be as customised as possible. When you get your new phone, you get to customise the way you use it right? When you go on Amazon they use your data to customise things you might like too. So why don’t we think this way when it comes to employee experience? A lot of companies spend tons of money investing on things their employees simply don’t need or want, this is why 61% of the UK’s workforce is still disengaged. Companies need to react to the changing world.
So that’s that — my top five lessons from my astounding five years working in a startup. And to my point around letting your people work with other awesome people, here are mine — a special thank you to you too:
@Mona Akiki (boss)— you taught me that when your company scales — your job responsibilities change — it’s not about the speed and quantity — it’s about the quality and depth.
@Gautam Sahgal (ex-boss)— you taught me that your company’s identity is not about who you say you are — it’s behaviours that define you.
@James Arnall (ex-boss)— you taught me the formula for great teamwork: trust others + REALLY trust others.
@Shaun Bradley (mentor)— you taught me that passion can get you anywhere.
@Ben Leeds (colleague)— you taught me that there comes a time when your company’s culture gets diluted, if there is something that threatens your identity — fight for it. ‘This is WHO we are and this what HOW we do it’.
Thanks for reading,
Madlena Pozlevic,
