There are 24 hours in a day, and if people like their jobs, they will find ways to use as much of it as possible to do their jobs.
Anyone who has started a company has his own rules and guidelines, so I thought I would add to the memo with my own. My “rules” below aren’t just for those founding companies, but for those who are considering going to work for them as well.
Here are some rules from my personal experiences for you to consider.
This is also a good way to keep from hiring execs that cannot operate successfully in a start-up. My biggest fear was always hiring someone who wanted to build an empire.
If the person demands to fly first class or to bring over a personal secretary, run away. If an exec won’t go on sales calls, run away. They are empire builders and will pollute your company.
If your people are at shows and in public, it’s okay to buy for your own folks, but if you really think someone is going to wear your YoBaby.com polo when they’re out and about, you are mistaken and have no idea how to spend your money.
Never ever, ever hire a PR firm. A PR firm will call or email people in the publications you already read, on the shows you already watch and at the websites you already surf. Those people publish their emails.
Whenever you consume any information related to your field, get the email of the person publishing it and send them a message introducing yourself and the company. Their job is to find new stuff. They will welcome hearing from the founder instead of some PR flack.
Once you establish communication with that person, make yourself available to answer their questions about the industry and be a source for them. If you are smart, they will use you.
Make the job fun for employees. Keep a pulse on the stress levels and accomplishments of your people and reward them.
At the end of the day, it is YOU who gets to decide what suits you and your startup better. There are no hard and fast rules but always learn and network to help you outsource and bootstrap for resources.
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