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Startups can be chaotic.
Managers often have no training.
15 high-impact principles to run a team at a startup:
Managers often have no training.
15 high-impact principles to run a team at a startup:
Be Clear:
Everyone should know what success looks like.
What's the north star metric (revenue, users, etc.)?
How does their role contribute to it?
Target in hand, people can get to work.
Everything else is a distraction.
Everyone should know what success looks like.
What's the north star metric (revenue, users, etc.)?
How does their role contribute to it?
Target in hand, people can get to work.
Everything else is a distraction.
Be Ethical:
Good companies need guiding principles.
Leaders must define them, articulate them and uphold them.
If you act contrary to principle, you undermine them.
Give your employees a compass.
Good companies need guiding principles.
Leaders must define them, articulate them and uphold them.
If you act contrary to principle, you undermine them.
Give your employees a compass.
Be Forgiving:
Honest mistakes happen.
Once is a lesson; twice is laziness or inattention.
Dishonest behavior should be treated harshly.
Honest mistakes happen.
Once is a lesson; twice is laziness or inattention.
Dishonest behavior should be treated harshly.
Be Rational:
Explain your decisions, especially when people don't agree with them.
Irrational leaders undermine trust.
If you can’t articulate your decisions, why should anyone follow them?
Direction becomes whim, rather than part of the vision.
Explain your decisions, especially when people don't agree with them.
Irrational leaders undermine trust.
If you can’t articulate your decisions, why should anyone follow them?
Direction becomes whim, rather than part of the vision.
Be Open:
Assume there’s always a better idea, and that it could come from anyone (or anywhere).
People will feel heard and want to contribute more.
This will naturally improve the quality of ideas around you.
And you’ll notice more of them.
Assume there’s always a better idea, and that it could come from anyone (or anywhere).
People will feel heard and want to contribute more.
This will naturally improve the quality of ideas around you.
And you’ll notice more of them.
Be Transparent:
Remote-first work means people are alone with their thoughts a lot.
The imagination will naturally fill in gaps when we don’t have the facts.
This can breed fear and alienation.
Transparency unites.
Remote-first work means people are alone with their thoughts a lot.
The imagination will naturally fill in gaps when we don’t have the facts.
This can breed fear and alienation.
Transparency unites.
Be Trusting:
Life is richer when you give people the benefit of the doubt.
Our minds superimpose narratives on benign circumstances all the time.
Practice separating facts from narrative.
Life is richer when you give people the benefit of the doubt.
Our minds superimpose narratives on benign circumstances all the time.
Practice separating facts from narrative.
Be Flawed:
When you make a mistake, own it in front of everyone.
This builds trust and fosters honesty.
Blame-first cultures are poisonous and lame.
When you make a mistake, own it in front of everyone.
This builds trust and fosters honesty.
Blame-first cultures are poisonous and lame.
Be Brave:
Some people were born with infallible self-confidence.
The rest of us just show up and do the best we can.
Fake it until you make it.
Then fake it some more...
Some people were born with infallible self-confidence.
The rest of us just show up and do the best we can.
Fake it until you make it.
Then fake it some more...
Be Curious:
Follow your energy.
It’s hard to be great at something you’re not crazy about.
Do more of what gets you in flow state.
Delegate the other stuff to people better suited for it.
Follow your energy.
It’s hard to be great at something you’re not crazy about.
Do more of what gets you in flow state.
Delegate the other stuff to people better suited for it.
Be Real:
Robots are for assembly lines.
We do better work when connected to others.
If people can’t get to know you, they’ll have no reason to care about you.
Be human and find common ground.
Robots are for assembly lines.
We do better work when connected to others.
If people can’t get to know you, they’ll have no reason to care about you.
Be human and find common ground.
Reward Outcomes:
It’s easy to be busy getting nothing done.
Startups are about making stuff happen.
The best people find a way.
The rest react or wait to be told what to do.
Focus on results to inspire action.
It’s easy to be busy getting nothing done.
Startups are about making stuff happen.
The best people find a way.
The rest react or wait to be told what to do.
Focus on results to inspire action.
Call B.S., Discretely:
It’s tempting to accept answers at face value, especially in large meetings.
If you sense something's amiss, follow up privately.
Weeks or months can be lost by taking things for granted.
It’s tempting to accept answers at face value, especially in large meetings.
If you sense something's amiss, follow up privately.
Weeks or months can be lost by taking things for granted.
Praise Publicly, Criticize Privately:
Great work should be recognized.
It shows people that their efforts matter and gives others a benchmark.
Save critical feedback for 1:1s.
No one likes being called out in front of others.
It demotivates and breeds resentment.
Great work should be recognized.
It shows people that their efforts matter and gives others a benchmark.
Save critical feedback for 1:1s.
No one likes being called out in front of others.
It demotivates and breeds resentment.
Remove Obstacles:
What's holding your team back?
Tech backlog? Hire a freelancer.
Manual tasks? Find a way to automate.
Weak reporting? Get better analytics.
Whatever it takes...
What's holding your team back?
Tech backlog? Hire a freelancer.
Manual tasks? Find a way to automate.
Weak reporting? Get better analytics.
Whatever it takes...
Thanks for taking the time to read.
h/t to @wdmorrisjr for inspiring this thread.
Please retweet the first tweet so others find it too.
Follow me @bbourque for more on startups and marketing.
h/t to @wdmorrisjr for inspiring this thread.
Please retweet the first tweet so others find it too.
Follow me @bbourque for more on startups and marketing.
