💥 Start-up career hacks (special edition 3)

Start-up career hacks featuring:

Galina Esther Shubina: Choose wisely: your manager can make or break your career 

Alicia Henríquez: Past success does not guarantee current success 

Merita Ramadani: Automation can elevate your career

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Choose wisely: your manager can make or break your career

The mistake I made

Early in my career at a scale-up, I developed and analysed big data for our first machine-learning solution, leading to the formation of a three-person team. Despite expecting to be the Tech Lead, a colleague from another area was appointed instead. My manager also considered a newer, more junior teammate for the role.

Since my manager took on a management role, I've observed a tendency to make inaccurate evaluations of individuals' performance and capabilities. Before my situation, I witnessed another colleague receiving an unjustifiably poor performance review from my manager. My mistake was assuming it would not happen to me - that my manager just needed time to grow into their role.

I raised my concerns with our Director, and s/he moved me to under an experienced engineering manager who recognised my potential, provided growth opportunities, and supported my advancement, including as a Tech Lead of another team.

The one thing I wish I knew to avoid that mistake

In practice, I noticed a recurring pattern in start-ups: they frequently promote top individual contributors to managerial roles. It typically takes 1-3 years for these individuals to realise the need for a new skill set and a shift in priorities. While some excel in this transition, others find that people management isn't for them. Even the best can struggle during this transformation, often at the expense of their direct reports who become unintentional "guinea pigs." And nobody wants to be a guinea pig.

One tip to hack your career in start-ups

To grow your career successfully, having the right manager can either accelerate or hinder your progress. According to a Gallup study (“First, Break All the Rules”), managers are one of the strongest predictors of how happy someone is with their work. When considering a new team, ask questions to identify the good ones (join!), bad ones (avoid!), “meh” managers (consider together with other factors) and new managers (avoid if you’re junior, but consider otherwise, as long as they – and you -- are well supported within the organisation with learning and mentoring). Recognise that the “individual contributor mode” manager can be well-meaning, but their inexperience can still slow down or derail your career.

Past success does not guarantee current success

The mistake I made

I transitioned into start-ups after beginning my career as a founding teacher at a charter school. While we were revolutionising the American educational system, success required standardisation and consistency. However, when I moved into the start-up world, I found that my strong reliance on best practices and frameworks hindered my ability to adapt to the unique situations and fluidity essential for start-up success.

The one thing I wish I knew to avoid that mistake

While working for an innovative restaurant group, our chefs were encouraged to "kill their darlings” on their menus. In start-ups, the ability to pivot and reassess is vital, even if it’s difficult. I learned to challenge the status quo and investigate the root causes of our obstacles. This taught me that past success, or even what worked for other successful companies, might not be suitable for our specific context.

One tip to hack your career in start-ups

Embrace the mantra of "Let it go" and foster curiosity. The start-up world thrives on innovation, which often means leaving behind what you know and exploring uncharted territory. Ask "why" and dig into the root of the problem you're trying to solve. Align your actions with the start-up's present needs and future objectives, rather than relying on what worked elsewhere or in the past. This mindset not only facilitates personal development but also aligns your career path with the dynamic nature of start-ups. By remaining adaptable and open to learning, you position yourself as a valuable asset capable of navigating the uncertainties and opportunities that characterise the start-up journey.

Automation can elevate your career

The mistake I made

In one of my start-ups, after receiving funding, we launched into a hiring frenzy. We were hiring at breakneck speed, making hires on an average of 10 people per day. This meant that after hours, I would spend about 2-3 hours (15 minutes on average per contract) ensuring that candidates were hired compliantly. I was putting in 80-100 hours a week, but the pace of the business was outstripping the capacity of my HR team to keep up.

The one thing I wish I knew to avoid that mistake

Automation is king, and implementing automation before funding hits the bank is even better! When the HR team lacks automation, no matter how many people we hire, all our hours will be consumed by the increased volume of administrative work that accompanies start-up growth. This also means I'll constantly be playing catch-up, firefighting instead of proactively planning for new business challenges that arise from expansion.

One tip to hack your career in start-ups

If you're an HR leader in startups, prioritise automation in your strategy! Start by mapping out processes you want to streamline or enhance. This gives you a clear view of the bigger picture, helps identify gaps, and facilitates task automation. Ensure you have the right tools in place to enable automation effectively. For instance, in the hiring process, integrating background checks into the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) can significantly reduce contract generation time, allowing everything to happen with just a few clicks. This reduces the contract sending time to 3-5 minutes, enhancing efficiency. 

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