5 Things I Learned Working at a Startup

The past year in my startup life has been a wild journey full of ups and downs. As I embark on the next adventure in my career, I want to share some of the key lessons that I learned at K4Connect, an incredible place that has taught me more than I could have asked for.

Teaching is just as important as learning: When I joined K4Connect, I assumed that folks who were in the company longer than me knew more than I did. I was a little late to realize that there were many things I could teach everyone. Early stage startups have a lot to learn. They are a group of smart, driven people focused primarily on doing things that don’t scale. There is a huge opportunity to step up and teach your company about better and more efficient ways of doing things using new tools, techniques and systems.

Processes are critical: Big companies have robust processes in place. In my pre-MBA role at an automotive company I hated the emphasis on processes and systems because I felt that rigid processes slow down decision making and discourage creativity. At early stage startups, however, there are few set processes, and things are constantly changing. Formal processes and systems ensure effective collaboration across functions, consistency in decision-making and increased productivity. Processes also make repetitive tasks faster, thereby making room for more creative work.

Clear goals are just as important as they are in big companies: I learned it the hard way that impres­sive-sound­ing mission statements are only good for the first slide of pitch decks. A mission statement must translate into clear business goals. It is true that startups equal to ambiguity but ambiguity of goals is a recipe for disaster. Teams can produce their best work only when they have clearly defined SMART goals, which in turn must be derived from the overarching business objectives.

Progress starts small: When I started working as the Head of Analytics, I wrongly assumed that the only way to prove myself is to do something big and groundbreaking. I eventually realized that there were a ton of small things that I could improve and yet have a disproportionately high impact on the company. These early, small wins not only help build momentum but also lay the foundation for achieving the long term goals.

Find a mentor: One of my initial failures at K4Connect was not finding a mentor early enough. In my early days I had no clear goals, little direction from the leadership and unrealistic expectations. I was fortunate to have found a mentor in our CFO, Ellen Grantham, who guided me in navigating the startup environment, taught me the nuances of stakeholder management and helped me hone my leadership skills. It may sound obvious but I cannot overstate the importance of finding a mentor to successfully navigate through ambiguity in a typical startup environment.

Onward and upward!

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