Top 10 tips for your first month in a tech start up

Hi, let me introduce myself.

My name is Maxime (in the middle), and in the beginning of 2020, I got a job as a business developer in a tech startup called Wezen. My background is in banking consulting so a tech start-up was going to be a new challenge and I had a lot to learn, for me MVP was just the best player in the NBA and QA a type of YouTube video.

I thought I’d share my top 10 tips that helped me along the way and might help you too if you are taking a similar step.

1 — Anticipate

Try to anticipate as much as you can about your new environment. Check the website, Linked in, Welcome to the jungle (for french recruiting) and basically have a good google about what the company does and what it is like. This way you won’t have a huge surprise on your first day if it isn’t what you expected.

2 — Be Ready

The first week in a new company can be challenging, as you have to learn a large amount of information over a short period.

Try to rest and be as fresh as possible for your first day. If you are changing your job try to take some time in between finishing one and starting another so you start with a clear head. If not just try to organize yourself so you are ready to give 100% to your new mission.

3 — Listen

If you only take away 1 thing from this article it’s this. Listen!

When you arrive in a new environment you need the information which people are willing to give to you. Open your ears and welcome this golden flow of knowledge. It will set you up well to move faster towards being competent and excel in your new role.
(For example, in my first couple of weeks I made sure I sat down with everyone on my team to learn about them and their role in the company. This gave me a much greater understanding of Wezen as a whole).

4 — Ask Questions

The adage ‘no questions are stupid questions’ is definitely true in your first few weeks on the job! ‘Why is this?’ ‘What is that?’ ‘Who is he?’ Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to fully understand the different topics and to make sense of what is happening around you. In fact, you are in a unique position to ask questions that people, who have worked there a long time, may not think to ask.

5 — Take notes

Humans are very good at receiving information but not so good at retaining it. During your first few weeks, you may be overwhelmed with a high quantity of new knowledge and it may feel impossible to keep everything in your brain. Taking notes alleviates the pressure to remember, enabling you to listen more effectively and who knows maybe those notes will help the next newcomer to the team.
(I was literally sleeping with my little notebook during the first month!)

6 — Understanding who is who

In a start-up more than in any other type of company, knowledge and process are often stored in the minds of the people you work with, so focusing on identifying the key stakeholders for each topic is a great strategy. Then you can ask them questions about their work and subject specifically, giving you greater understanding, and we all know people love to talk about themselves.
(for example, it really helped me to know which individuals to go to for help with tech/organization/sales/marketing, etc.)

7 — Do

If you have to keep a second tip it would be this one. Start to be active as early as possible. Some concepts and tools might seem intimidating but immersing yourself in them will help you learn them faster and you will soon see that your expectations are far scarier than reality.

By starting to work immediately you will learn faster and be able to start helping your team. For me, it was creating the onboarding process for any new team members that will arrive after me. It helped me structure my ideas by using all this new knowledge.

8 — Repeat

Your first time doing something new will often not be that good, but that’s the point of the learning process! So repeat your actions and you will soon see huge progress.
(For example, my first client wasn’t smooth at all, I was hesitant and not convincing, but practice makes perfect and nowadays I am far more cool and relaxed in meetings).

9 — Ask how you can improve

Often people are afraid to be criticized in a new job. I say go and beg for critiques. They will help you correct your actions, help you to avoid learning bad behaviors, and save you precious time.

10 — Have fun!

Finally, don’t forget to have fun. You are not a robot, work is also a way to create new relationships. Don’t hesitate to crack jokes or get involved in social activities outside of work with the team (#afterwork).
This is a good way to integrate yourself!

To conclude, following these tips and with a good bit of luck, I have been able to integrate myself into a phenomenal team, create strong relationships, and start to fulfill my mission quickly.

If you want to discover this incredible group of hard-working individuals ready to change the global content industry, you can find us on wezen.com, we are hiring!

A new job can feel quite daunting to begin with but it’s better to get stuck in fast.

Go for it and good luck!