Think you're living in a Dilbert comic strip? Think the whole business world is a Dilbert comic strip? It's not true!
I love this article recently written by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah: Why Startups Have Fewer Dilbertian, Pointy-Haired Bosses.
While the article focuses on the management teams in startups vs. big,
established companies, I think it definitely speaks to the great
atmosphere (in general) of a (good) startup. Much less Dilbertian, you
might say.
A few of the comments suggested that we (Dharmesh and
some of the other startup-loving readers of his blog - I include myself
in this bunch) are romanticizing startups somewhat (I think this is
hard not to do when you work at a great startup...). And in reality
there are awesome big companies and there are sucky startups - they're
all out there (I still think there is a higher proportion of great
people in startups vs. big companies because they are a more
entrepreneurial and more committed group).
What I think it comes
down to is the right fit of the person to the company. A comment posted
by Brian (who also works with us) also speaks to this. He suggests that
big company culture is very different from startup culture and people
usually fit well into one or the other, but not both. So which one do
you fit into?
Taking into account some of the things mentioned
in the article and comments, and upon looking back at my own work
history (though limited it is), here's what I think makes people fit
better in a big company or a startup:
- Internally-Motivated Overachievers (+ Startup) - Startups are great for overachievers, especially those who get satisfaction out of doing work for the sake of the experience and problem-solving fun. There isn't a lot of room to move up the corporate ladder in a startup, when the only person between you and the CEO is a VP, your boss. But there are still a lot of amazing, satisfying things for you to do.
- ADD individuals (+ Startup) -
Have trouble concentrating on one thing? In other words, want to do a
lot and have access to lots of different aspects of the company? No
matter what job you take at a startup, you'll likely get to see every
aspect of the company, from development to marketing & sales to
customer support. And even though you may take a job in marketing, you
just might end up doing some customer support.
- Benefit of resources (- Startup) - I myself am used to little or no resources, as is the typical situation for most college groups (and non-profit organizations) , but what's great about a big company is that there IS money and there ARE tons of resources built up. Resources include anything from training classes all the way down to tons of pens and notebooks in the supply closet (*ahem* our supply closet consists of a box and filing cabinet with some office supplies).
- Act > Strategize (+ Startup) -
In a startup, the focus is definitely on getting things done. Not that
this is not important in a big company. But in a big company you spend
more time strategizing, there is more coordinating of larger budgets
and resources, while in a startup you want to get out there and try
things - it's ok if it doesn't work out (you're not actually spending
big bucks for the most part at the beginning) because you're learning.
The valuable resource you're trying not to waste I think is your time
and employee power, so you try to get things done as efficiently as
possible and see how it turns out (I guess so later you can
strategize...). A related point is that in a startup there is less
bureaucracy (a huge point that affects my personal preference) and so
it's a lot easier to get things done because you don't need to go
through 10 people for approval. And because of this you can do real
work (not wasting time with administrative tasks and waiting around on
people) and see results from your work.
- Employee Visibility (+/- Startup) -
This is a tough one. Employees are definitely more visible in a
startup, no question. But sometimes, some people, just want to be less
visible. I actually feel like that sometimes. Failures are definitely
less visible in a big company (maybe also because responsibilities are
more diffused and so mistakes are smaller in the grand scheme of
things). But when I screw up, half the company, including the CEO, can
hear and see it happening because we're all sitting in the same room
all day. Great. But the flip side is that your successes are equally
visible and can therefore carry you further in a small company. And in
general, in a small company, you get more attention because there are
fewer people altogether. You have direct access to executives because
they sit at the desk next to yours and you have small weekly meetings
with them.
- Risk (+/- Startup) - Of course with a startup there are risks. You risk job security and hope that you will benefit from a big payoff in the future, say if the company succeeds, gets bought or goes public. You need to figure out if you're willing to take the risk. What's funny is I don't really consider myself a big risk taker, and yet I still jumped right into my current job, my first real job out of college, at a startup.
- Shaping the company (+ Startup) - If you want to have a real effect on how your company grows and changes, then a startup is definitely for you. It's been amazing to see, in just the couple of months at my job, how much has changed and evolved and it's exciting to see it happening and to be a part of it. Each voice is much more powerful and since the company is still early on in its development, there are a lot of places it could go and you have a part in affecting that.
