On great words your team don't give a f*ck

Hi, troublemakers! 👋

Here’s a powerful quote I’ve highlighted this week, along with a thought for you to reflect this weekend.

Take care and unwind!
Tom

1 Quote

From The Anthology of Balaji:

“A startup is willing something into existence.”

1 Thought

For founders, this isn’t an unusual notion. We all have a somewhat accurate image of what a startup is, what it certainly isn’t, and, actually, why we do it. I would love to write more about why I believe in this idea, how it guides my life, and so on. This wouldn’t be a particularly noteworthy discovery, though.

Instead , I want to direct your attention to the other side of the coin:

YES , we founders are often fueled by this ‘zero to one’ philosophy in work and, generally, in life.

And NO , our teams are not always aligned with this vision.

Last year, I doubled my team to over 30 people, and what I’ve observed in these last few quarters is a significant difference between newcomers and the old guard.

I think it’s because when launching a startup, you often have nothing more than a great vision and a spark in your eye. Thus, you naturally hire people who share your values, those ready to sacrifice stability and quick financial gains.

Conclusion 1

Life’s a funny thing, so the real challenges begin when you hit the tipping point.

It’s growth that marks the transition from a garage startup to a company.

With every new member joining, you’re evolving from a startup into a more ‘organized business’. Even if you don’t feel it that way, your team does. And for them, the idea of willing something into existence might not be the primary motivation.

I remember discussing with one of my close friends the concept of Amazon’s Day One. I was inspired, finding this simple concept extremely valuable for orienting your team.

After patiently listening to my excitement, my friend answered:

I know hundreds of managers and engineers from Amazon, and one thing I’m certain about is that they don’t give a fck about Day One. They are just employees in another big corp, cogs in the giant machine.*

Conclusion 2

Everyone has their own speed limiter.

Learning and stress curves vary from person to person. Therefore, the substance of a company must evolve with its growth — and that is the ultimate purpose of a startup’s existence.

To quote Paul Graham, a startup is a business built to grow extremely rapidly.