When approaching a tech start-up, there are a lot of intervals where things could go terribly wrong. The most important element in the process to nurture is productivity, while the most damaging components are usually our own selves. Our pride, ego, anger, lack of time management skills, and lack of commitment are the detrimental things that must change when we approach a tech start-up in order to succeed. Anything else is a recipe for failure.
It does not matter who you are, everyone is equal
Pride can get in the way of a lot of things, but it is lethal when a project is in its beginning stages. While the CEO and president of the company are important and elite, all employees are just as important. The tasks involved in a tech startup are stressful and the workload is heavy. Nothing will kill workers’ morale than the employees being reminded of their inferiority. Treating everyone as equals will encourage all employees to give their very best.
Encouragement is the opposite of discouragement
Employees desire to feel as if they are an integral part of the company. They want to have a sense of pride that comes from feeling appreciated and valued. Recognising the talents and efforts of others in a positive way motivates employees to excel in their performance, while withholding feedback will send an unappreciative message. A few kind words can be the difference between someone taking initiative or just taking up space.
100% is not enough, demand 110%
The world of technology is competitive, as many tech start-ups never make it off the ground. It is going to take an extraordinary amount of commitment and dedication from the entire team to get from conception to execution. This is why it is not only important that you hire the people who are the most qualified, but who are capable and willing to commit themselves beyond the minimum requirements in order to bring to life the vision.
You do not know what you think you know
The danger in assumptions is not in what we know, but in the exceptions to the rules. The unpredicted and unforeseen issues case delays and even prevent projects from moving further. While we try to plan for worst case scenarios and use a data dashboard to analyze large amounts of data, the things we know are capable of having a surprise in store. A major part of your operation should be centered around testing and re-testing everything. leave no stone unturned because the element you assume that you have control of will be the very thing that will spiral out of control.
Everything must have a time limit
Understandable, deadlines can be hard to follow. But the purpose of a deadline is to manage the time and measure results of progress. When a milestone is not reached, the progress is stalled. Furthermore, tasks that drags the progress also consume attention from the tasks that will propel the project. Do not allow stagnant delays steal everyone’s attention. If a task is not finished when it is supposed to be completed, move on to the next task. Allow another team member to give a limited amount of attention to fixing the problem if the problem is detrimental. If not, come back to it when everything else is done.
Anger kills productivity
There are going to be times when you might get frustrated or feel overwhelmed. It’s natural and perfectly acceptable. What is not acceptable is losing your temper or spreading negativity among your peers. Even when things are not going as planned, try to remain positive and avoid displaying any signs of anger in front of your colleagues. Anger breeds more anger, and it will erase all of the motivation from your team. Re-channel that angry emotion and convert it into motivation. Use your data dashboard to identify areas of opportunity, change what needs correction, then proactively move forward to the next task.
It is not about what you know, it is about who you know
In this business, you will attend meetings on a daily basis. So meetings will be geared towards establishing new relationships, others will be about fixing problems. While it important to have the right people in place, it is also important to nurture the relationships with each person who is apart of your team. Even if you only communicate with a person sparingly, it is important to establish strong and reliable relationships. Each person who is apart of your network has a network of their own, and so on and so forth. By tapping into each person’s network, you gain access to knowledge and experience that could prove to be valuable in a sticky situation. The trick is not to become an expert on everything, but align yourself with people who are experts in the areas you are weak in.
About the author:
This article was written by Finn Pierson. Finn is a freelance writer who specialises in technology, business, and marketing.
