Introducing Employees Only
A new series about the people behind your favorite startups
I’m a huge startup content junkie. It’s almost embarrassing.
I religiously watch jason’s This Week in Startups (and similar shows like FounderLine & Startup Grind), subscribe to Social Capital Snippets & tons of newsletters like it, and follow all the usual suspects on Twitter.
I think it’s because hearing other people’s startup success stories is so inspiring. And learning about their stumbles along the way can be cathartic. Sometimes, I’ve even found combinations thereof to provide useful frameworks in designing plans for my own career.
More often than not & with good cause, these stories are told by startup investors and CEOs. I love hearing from other investors about the first time they met an exceptional entrepreneur and how their companies have changed since they first invested. And, of course, founders/CEOs know their businesses like no one else and can share details about their companies’ origins & journeys in ways others simply can’t.
But, after spending the better part of the last decade operating startups, I’m convinced there are different stories still left to be told and that deserve to be heard. The stories of early employees who are hands on in building the products, systems & teams behind the companies we celebrate.
These stories are obviously valuable for people who work at startups, but equally valuable for individuals that are interested in the idea of doing so. It’s difficult to aspire to something that you don’t see examples of. Not everyone wants to, or should, be a founder. Now more than ever, it’s important to highlight & celebrate all the other ways people contribute to early-stage companies and still have tremendous impact.
That’s why I and some friends have started filming a very new, very experimental video series called “Employees Only”. And we’ve gathered some of the best builders, operators, and innovators from around the startup ecosystem to share their insights about how great companies are built, what it’s like to work at them, and how to best position yourself to join one too.
If you work at a startup, think you might want to, or simply want to learn learn more about the journeys of folks who do, “Employees Only” is for you.
Here is a link to our first episode with Megan Berry, VP of Product at Rebelmouse & former Head of Community at Klout. We look forward to your thoughts!
P.S. Be sure to sign up for updates so we can notify you when future episodes are available. Feel free to reach out to me directly with thoughts & feedback.
P.P.S. We’re always looking for interesting people to interview, so if you know of someone great that we should talk to, please take a moment to fill out this form.
And, of course, special thanks to AJ, Kunal, Bryan, Ash, Megan & Mani for your help getting Employees Only up and running :)
