Ellie's Blog

Are You Destined to Live in a Dilbert Comic Strip?

Think you're living in a Dilbert comic strip? Think the whole business world is a Dilbert comic strip? It's not true!

I love this article recently written by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah: Why Startups Have Fewer Dilbertian, Pointy-Haired Bosses. While the article focuses on the management teams in startups vs. big, established companies, I think it definitely speaks to the great atmosphere (in general) of a (good) startup. Much less Dilbertian, you might say.

A few of the comments suggested that we (Dharmesh and some of the other startup-loving readers of his blog - I include myself in this bunch) are romanticizing startups somewhat (I think this is hard not to do when you work at a great startup...). And in reality there are awesome big companies and there are sucky startups - they're all out there (I still think there is a higher proportion of great people in startups vs. big companies because they are a more entrepreneurial and more committed group).

What I think it comes down to is the right fit of the person to the company. A comment posted by Brian (who also works with us) also speaks to this. He suggests that big company culture is very different from startup culture and people usually fit well into one or the other, but not both. So which one do you fit into?

Taking into account some of the things mentioned in the article and comments, and upon looking back at my own work history (though limited it is), here's what I think makes people fit better in a big company or a startup:

• Internally-Motivated Overachievers (+ Startup) - Startups are great for overachievers, especially those who get satisfaction out of doing work for the sake of the experience and problem-solving fun. There isn't a lot of room to move up the corporate ladder in a startup, when the only person between you and the CEO is a VP, your boss. But there are still a lot of amazing, satisfying things for you to do.

• ADD individuals (+ Startup) - Have trouble concentrating on one thing? In other words, want to do a lot and have access to lots of different aspects of the company? No matter what job you take at a startup, you'll likely get to see every aspect of the company, from development to marketing & sales to customer support. And even though you may take a job in marketing, you just might end up doing some customer support.
  

• Benefit of resources (- Startup) - I myself am used to little or no resources, as is the typical situation for most college groups (and non-profit organizations) , but what's great about a big company is that there IS money and there ARE tons of resources built up. Resources include anything from training classes all the way down to tons of pens and notebooks in the supply closet (*ahem* our supply closet consists of a box and filing cabinet with some office supplies).

• Act > Strategize (+ Startup) - In a startup, the focus is definitely on getting things done. Not that this is not important in a big company. But in a big company you spend more time strategizing, there is more coordinating of larger budgets and resources, while in a startup you want to get out there and try things - it's ok if it doesn't work out (you're not actually spending big bucks for the most part at the beginning) because you're learning. The valuable resource you're trying not to waste I think is your time and employee power, so you try to get things done as efficiently as possible and see how it turns out (I guess so later you can strategize...). A related point is that in a startup there is less bureaucracy (a huge point that affects my personal preference) and so it's a lot easier to get things done because you don't need to go through 10 people for approval. And because of this you can do real work (not wasting time with administrative tasks and waiting around on people) and see results from your work.
  

• Employee Visibility (+/- Startup) - This is a tough one. Employees are definitely more visible in a startup, no question. But sometimes, some people, just want to be less visible. I actually feel like that sometimes. Failures are definitely less visible in a big company (maybe also because responsibilities are more diffused and so mistakes are smaller in the grand scheme of things). But when I screw up, half the company, including the CEO, can hear and see it happening because we're all sitting in the same room all day. Great. But the flip side is that your successes are equally visible and can therefore carry you further in a small company. And in general, in a small company, you get more attention because there are fewer people altogether. You have direct access to executives because they sit at the desk next to yours and you have small weekly meetings with them.
  

• Risk (+/- Startup) - Of course with a startup there are risks. You risk job security and hope that you will benefit from a big payoff in the future, say if the company succeeds, gets bought or goes public. You need to figure out if you're willing to take the risk. What's funny is I don't really consider myself a big risk taker, and yet I still jumped right into my current job, my first real job out of college, at a startup.

• Shaping the company (+ Startup) - If you want to have a real effect on how your company grows and changes, then a startup is definitely for you. It's been amazing to see, in just the couple of months at my job, how much has changed and evolved and it's exciting to see it happening and to be a part of it. Each voice is much more powerful and since the company is still early on in its development, there are a lot of places it could go and you have a part in affecting that.

After all this is said and done, it really comes down to finding the company environment that you feel you fit in well. This means feeling comfortable in your skin, feeling appreciated, and being challenged. Because all these things make for a happier person and help foster career growth. My two cents.