NMCJ - 6: The 2 year long Startup stint
Lessons from 2 years at a SaaS startup
Happy Friday everyone.
It’s Eid this week so Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating!
I went through my layoff and job-hunt ordeals in the last two pieces. This week, I would like to lighten the tone a bit or perhaps…make it a bit more neutral. I’ll go into some experiences of handling chaos but also some moments of thrill and excitement.
Around the end of 2020, I had had a few years at premier management consultancy (BCG) and a couple of years at an established tech firm under my belt. I was, thus, used to working in structured environments where processes and routines had already been set for the most part and well…there always were opportunities to make improvements but there always was an established baseline to start with.
I joined a SaaS (software as a service) startup at that point and the experience was the complete opposite of what I was used to. Nonetheless, it was one hell of a ride that lasted almost two years. It was an experience that kept me on my toes but was thrilling as well.
Here is what I learned in those two years….
Don’t expect structure at all because you might need to build structure from scratch
I was employee number 23 when I started and the company had been registered for a few years but had really started going within the previous year.
As expected, when you join a company, you have loads of questions. So did I.
Questions such as:
How do I register for the company’s health insurance scheme?
How do I register my bank account with the company to…well…get paid :p?
The company offers a wellness allowance. How do I claim that?
Who can help me with transferring my current phone number to the company’s sim card?
Am I supposed to report my time? If yes, how?
I had no idea who I was supposed to reach out to and the more people I asked the more confused I got. It seemed as if the routines and processes were nowhere near established.
I got the answers I was looking for but it wasn’t straightforward at all. Constant pestering and repeated questions eventually got me there but I guess that was the biggest revelation to me….established processes weren’t going to be a thing at this place.
While a startup would, almost by definition, lack structure, it gives the whole team an opportunity to build that very structure. The whole company, at that stage, was figuring itself out and, thus, was like a blank canvas.
I was hired for a Business Operations role and that was a function that had to be built from scratch so it went without saying that I had to improvise and not just flag problems but also provide solutions to them.
To put it in a ‘glass half full’ way, in an early stage startup, most people are trying to find structure but that is exactly why, it’s the ideal platform to build processes and routines on. In other words, if you want structure….build it! You need to be excited by that prospect to thrive at a startup. That was certainly the case for me.
Be prepared for chaos
The lack of structure often leaves startups prone to cyclical swings. The ‘boom-and-bust’ cycle has an impact on sectors and companies of all shapes and sizes but, when you’re just starting off as a company, the impact can be much more intense. Funding could dry up quickly the sales cycles could take longer than expected and, all of a sudden, everything could flip.
Furthermore, in a SaaS company, a lot revolves around the product and, thus, a lot could depend on:
New features that were planned based on some assumptions about what customers want.
Fixing bugs in existing features.
Features requested by customers after using your product and finding something that does not fit their workflow or would enhance it further.
The problem is, that all of these things have to be done simultaneously and this is what causes chaos. I mean, should a developer fix bugs or build features or iterate based on customer feedback? The answer is to do all of these at the same time.
Prioritisation is, of course, the key here but that isn’t straightforward either. Priorities keep changing rapidly as well. In my experience, what helped was encouraging open communication around issues. That may sound like fluff but, often, getting two people in a meeting room and agreeing on the priority list saves a lot of potential chaos.
Be prepared for rapid iterations
Well-established corporations often get big, fat and lazy. Changing the way a company of twenty thousand employees runs it’s HR function would be a slow trek with hurdles and hiccups around every corner. A startup, on the other hand, thrives on rapid iterations.
The pace at which startups iterate can be exhilarating. Decisions are made swiftly, and projects move at a rapid pace. This agility could be an advantage but it also demands an exceptionally high level of resilience and adaptability from employees.
In my case, for instance, I was part of a working group to design the packaging of our SaaS offering for different client types. The clients, initially, fell into three broad categories i.e. Banks, Fintechs and Non-profits. Almost, every month from then on, we added 1-2 categories and within a couple of quarters we had grown to twelve offerings. Each offering had it’s own pricing, user limit, discount range and the tracking structures for performance and marketing had to be built around each.
It wasn’t like things became static after that. We kept on making changes. Through it all I learned to navigate through ambiguity, make decisions on the fly, and pivot when necessary. This fast-paced environment not only hones problem-solving skills but also instills a sense of urgency and efficiency in the organisation.
Be prepared to wear multiple hats
In a startup, the concept of a job description can be fluid. The limited resources and lean teams often mean that individuals need to wear multiple hats. From marketing to customer support, and even dabbling in product development – the flexibility required can be both challenging and rewarding.
In my Business Operations role, for instance, I noticed that there was room to pitch in across the board. I dabbled into various functions on the side. One week, I spent a few hours supporting HR with developing the employee onboarding journey. The next week, I was helping out with the update of the website. The week after, I was working on a Product presentation for the Board of the company.
The upside of wearing many hats is the breadth of experience gained. I found myself involved in diverse tasks, each requiring a unique set of skills. While this can be overwhelming at times, it fosters a holistic understanding of the business and made my role easier because I could relate to others in the company and thus, could speak their language.
Think beyond your silo
For SaaS startups, effective collaboration across different functions can be a make or break characteristic. Business Operations, Product development, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Support (basically all functions) have to work together to create a holistic and streamlined User Experience (UX). Breaking down silos and encouraging open, transparent communication is crucial for innovation and the rapid deployment of updates and features, as well as unleashing growth.
In my role, I found myself reaching out to (and partnering up with) teams beyond my immediate scope. As already explained, I had dabbled in different functions so I had an understanding of most other functions but regular collaboration kept me in the loop as to how organisation was developing and the challenges that were coming up.
The cross-functional approach not only accelerates problem-solving but also encourages a culture of collective ownership. In my case, in particular, the ‘breaking the silo’ approach helped because I was responsible for building and streamlining processes across functions and input/support from every function got me the buy-in I needed to do my job.
Always keep an eye on the north star - key metrics
In the world of startups (especially SaaS focused), data is a goldmine. Every interaction with the product, every customer interaction, every deal won and every marketing campaign can generate valuable data points. Harnessing this data, making sense of it and utilising it through informed decision-making is crucial for strategic growth and, well, survival even.
While metrics provide a view on business health, they can also help with addressing the ‘chaos’. Metrics have targets and targets are what should eventually guide prioritisation.
I often fell into situations where I had to juggle multiple requests together. I usually kept a view on the target metrics and, when prioritising, I would think about how my work would impact them. If any of my ‘To-Do’s’ weren’t going to have a bearing on the target metrics, they would immediately be downgraded to low priority. On the contrary, if any of the tasks at hand would have an immediate impact on one of the targets, I would take it up with a sense of urgency.
Automation and lean data flow processes are key aspects that are exceptionally important in this case. The easier it is to get access to metrics and data, the simpler the day-to-day running of the business becomes.
Enjoy it!
As with any job, it’s important to enjoy it. Otherwise, where’s the fun?
Startups can have challenging environments and it is often hard to take a step back to take a breath. However, it can be a thrilling experience. Following a company from the very cradle to full-on growth mode can be a rewarding experience.
Fine :p. That may be a bit ambitious. Most startups fail to make it but even in that case, one can learn a lot and enjoy along the way.
In my case, I loved the energy across the board and the feeling of building something from scratch. It can give you a unique sense of ownership and the speed with which things evolve can be exhilarating.
Make sure you’re ready to jump if needed
Startups can be extremely unstable. As a startup gains traction, the challenges of scale become apparent. Balancing the need for rapid growth with the stability of the platform is a delicate dance. Scaling too quickly can lead to user dissatisfaction, while scaling too slowly may result in missed opportunities. It is extremely difficult to get this equation right and many startups fail at it.
Hence, it’s always good to keep an eye out. You don’t always have to be in panic mode. That’s not a good idea at all. However, keeping your CV and LinkedIn profile updated is always a good idea. Expanding your network and keeping it warm can be a good strategy as well. A shortlist of companies where you could, potentially, move to is also a good to have. I guess all these tips apply to any career but, given the number of startups that fail, they are even more relevant to startups.
In short, working at a SaaS startup is not just a job; it's an immersion into a world of innovation, customer-centricity, and collaborative problem-solving. The challenges are abundant, but so are the opportunities for growth, learning, and contributing to groundbreaking technological advancements. The whole experience might eventually conclude with the company shutting shop but even that can teach you a lot.
For me it was an opportunity to embrace the dynamic nature of the startup mindset and thrive in culture of continuous ups and downs. It was a prolonged adrenaline rush. It’s a journey that demands resilience, adaptability, and a passion for pushing boundaries but also offers the thrill of rapid growth and expansion.
I know the feeling coming from a structured to an unstructured world and it can be overwhelming 😅 but it end up working somehow, at least a lesson 💫
Lovely writing; it is not a topic I'm familiar with, but I enjoyed a lot your clarity in writing it and that you emphasize the notion of having fun at any jobs you have. In the end, we spend years of our lives at our workplaces, so enjoying it, I feel, is essential.:)