What do you know about startups? They’re small, versatile, and constantly moving. But do you know what it takes to get one off the ground? Does anyone know what it takes until you’re in the thick of things? really You can read articles on quick tips and lists of things that are “essential” if you’re creating your own . But, reality is, you better know what you’re doing before you start. At least have clue. Because if you don’t, things will get ugly, and fast. startup some Startup babies are hard. Working for one and eventually starting one has given me a direct line into the level of commitment and attention that it takes to get this thing crawling, then walking, then running…and then maybe flying if you’re lucky. For the last 3.5 years, I’ve worked at a startup in its growth stage. A small tech company in a shoebox office was not in my plans, but the opportunity sat next to me on a ski lift — and I jumped. After selling me on the dream of a web app that could become the Next Big Thing, I joined the 15 person company with the promise of glory. With all of us jammed into that tiny office, the work began for me. tech Although I was hired as a Customer Experience Specialist, a bunch of fancy words that mean nothing, my daily tasks extended far beyond my job description. Everyone at the company was elbow deep in work, intent on keeping the ship upright and moving. I quickly came to specialize in our products, but I was also sales, account management, finance, technical documentation, and marketing. Back in those days, we all wore many different hats with the ultimate goal of Getting Shit Done. Now, at 160 employees, the ways of the once-startup company have changed quite a bit. Growing pains are real; we need to be more thorough on documenting processes and having checks-and-balances to make decisions. With my product knowledge, user focus, and company operation understanding, I transitioned from a customer experience role to a Product Manager. Being bossy has its perks, right? All of the different parts of the company and product that I’ve had my hands and mind in mean that I have enough knowledge to be dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that I decided to take a crack at it myself. And so Legend Sleep was born. With my brother playing the brilliant mastermind behind the technical aspects of our web-based company as well as guiding the physical product development, I was left to fill in the gaps. That meant pulling on the knowledge I’ve gathered over 3.5 years of startup life: keyword search results, formatting landing pages, composing newsletters and press releases, setting a tone for customer interactions, understanding UI components and button placement, and tracking. Lots of tracking. The key lessons that have served me well in both environments, as an employee and as a founder, are: If you don’t know, find out. Ask people, test things. If it’s not getting done, . No one else will do it. do it yourself Make sure you have a strategy and direction. If you don’t know what problems you are solving and don’t focus on those things, then no one else will know either. Know your brand, know your goals. Make what you’re doing your passion. Care about what you do and how you do it. When it’s startup baby, the world changes. Every aspect of the company is in your hands, and its success depends on your drive and on your willingness to possibly make big mistakes. your
