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In a Startup: It’s About The People

19 points by dwynings 16y ago

dkasper 16y ago
That sharing banner that pops up across the left side of the page is hella annoying to the point where I couldn't even give the content more than a glance. Until they post another article though you can read a version without the spam banner on their front page at http://startupi.st/ http://startupi.st/, or you can use Readability or "reader" in Safari.
- arnorhs 16y ago
  Same for me: http://img2.pict.com/70/30/58/3833301/0/1279933262.jpg http://img2.pict.com/70/30/58/3833301/0/1279933262.jpg I found out, though, if I resized the window to a smaller size, the banner disappears.
  - dwynings 16y ago
    Whoa, thanks for the heads up!
limedaring 16y ago
Or: 5 reasons why I left my last job. It was a toxic environment where the management didn't trust the employees (taking away personal laptops, then iphones; requiring time-sheets; installed website-blocking software; etc.) Hiring was also emphasized on finding the cheapest developers as possible, preferably ones without experience because they specifically wanted developers they could "train" to their backwards coding practices. And this was a startup with only 12 people total. After three years of trying to hire new developers, they still only had the original people that started the company because the cheap devs they tried to hire never were any good (how surprising). And those devs had been working at the company for so long that they're scared to leave for a better job. /end rant. Wish they'd read this article and change their tactics.
trevelyan 16y ago
It's very important to treat people well. But you don't always have the money to hire the best people, especially if you're a bootstrapped startup. One of the hardest psychological things about starting a business for me was taking no pay for a long time while paying others decently for work. Having an employee make considerably more than you is not psychologically healthy. I found myself having to guard against irrational feelings of resentment when going through tough times. Money solves a lot of problems, and I think this is an area where funding is actually useful. Still better to grind through doing all the work yourself and not give out equity though.
- BerislavLopac 16y ago
  I'm just curious: what did you live off (food, rent...) while you were taking no pay?
  - trevelyan 16y ago
    Always managed to find enough to live and pay rent. Took a part-time job for two months at one point in order to afford to be able to move.
- all 16y ago
  bump. Almost by definition, a healthy startup cannot afford the best there is. But I think what Dru may be getting at is to get the best you need. A few years ago, I had a project that blew through 3 dozen developers over a 15 month period because everyone checked out okay until they started to code. Then they'd crack and say "Oh, this is beyond my abilities". Ultimately, we found two developers that did the project in no time (and whom we now treat as well as we possibly can). We were lucky. I suspect a lot of projects sink in the mire of mediocrity.
cycojesus 16y ago
I cannot upvote this enough as I am internally battling between my envy to resign next monday and the need to feed my son.

19 points by dwynings 16y ago

That sharing banner that pops up across the left side of the page is hella annoying to the point where I couldn't even give the content more than a glance. Until they post another article though you can read a version without the spam banner on their front page at http://startupi.st/ http://startupi.st/, or you can use Readability or "reader" in Safari.

arnorhs 16y ago
Same for me: http://img2.pict.com/70/30/58/3833301/0/1279933262.jpg http://img2.pict.com/70/30/58/3833301/0/1279933262.jpg I found out, though, if I resized the window to a smaller size, the banner disappears.
- dwynings 16y ago
  Whoa, thanks for the heads up!

limedaring 16y ago

Or: 5 reasons why I left my last job. It was a toxic environment where the management didn't trust the employees (taking away personal laptops, then iphones; requiring time-sheets; installed website-blocking software; etc.) Hiring was also emphasized on finding the cheapest developers as possible, preferably ones without experience because they specifically wanted developers they could "train" to their backwards coding practices. And this was a startup with only 12 people total. After three years of trying to hire new developers, they still only had the original people that started the company because the cheap devs they tried to hire never were any good (how surprising). And those devs had been working at the company for so long that they're scared to leave for a better job. /end rant. Wish they'd read this article and change their tactics.

trevelyan 16y ago

It's very important to treat people well. But you don't always have the money to hire the best people, especially if you're a bootstrapped startup. One of the hardest psychological things about starting a business for me was taking no pay for a long time while paying others decently for work. Having an employee make considerably more than you is not psychologically healthy. I found myself having to guard against irrational feelings of resentment when going through tough times. Money solves a lot of problems, and I think this is an area where funding is actually useful. Still better to grind through doing all the work yourself and not give out equity though.

BerislavLopac 16y ago
I'm just curious: what did you live off (food, rent...) while you were taking no pay?
- trevelyan 16y ago
  Always managed to find enough to live and pay rent. Took a part-time job for two months at one point in order to afford to be able to move.
all 16y ago
bump. Almost by definition, a healthy startup cannot afford the best there is. But I think what Dru may be getting at is to get the best you need. A few years ago, I had a project that blew through 3 dozen developers over a 15 month period because everyone checked out okay until they started to code. Then they'd crack and say "Oh, this is beyond my abilities". Ultimately, we found two developers that did the project in no time (and whom we now treat as well as we possibly can). We were lucky. I suspect a lot of projects sink in the mire of mediocrity.

cycojesus 16y ago

I cannot upvote this enough as I am internally battling between my envy to resign next monday and the need to feed my son.