I just had the pleasure of sitting in on a SinglePlatform team development session—where everyone in the company (they have about a dozen people at the moment) sat down to work through personal styles of work and communication. They sat around a table talking personality types, how they prefer to interact with others, etc. Everyone was having fun because it was clear that they were all working towards making a better and more successful working environment. I loved the energy in the room.
Last week, I hungout with the team from GroupMe, helping them work on their product and marketing roadmap. They’re a bunch of very cool young hackers and it was a lot of fun to throw ideas around with them. They’re also pretty hilarious (you have *no idea* about all the fun uses of GroupMe until you’ve met them.)
Building a great company culture is critical when you’re a startup. You can’t outspend a big company to get someone, but you can definitely create a much better working environment. I always think of my friend Lauren’s quote, “I never hugged a co-worker until I worked at a startup.” It’s really true. There’s a value to being on a team that cares about each other, is passionate about what you’re trying to accomplish, and one that is invested in your personal development. You spend more waking hours at work than anything else in your life, it’s important that you feel like you’re making the most of it and moving forward.
If you’re working at a big company where you’re just a cog in the machine, or on the clock at an agency being billed out to the client, or even perhaps at a sideways trending startup that seems to be growing a little long in the tooth without visibility to an exit, drop me a line at charlie@firstround.com. I know some really great companies that are hiring specifically for a product manager, two CTOs, some mobile and web developers and some salespeople that I’d love to put you in touch with. Getting you into one of these places would really make my day.