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Okay, Friends. Coming out of the gate HOT. Feeling good that this preamble is going to start your 2023 on the right foot.
Here we go….
A few weeks back I was having a conversation with a colleague about the differences between being successful at a startup and successful at a big company.
I’ve had the pleasure (okay, in some instances, it was pain) of experiencing both in my career. Operating in each of these environments can be very different on a daily basis — and despite what many people think, they both require a unique set of skills that are not always transferable between each.
Sure, to be successful at any job, you need talent, smarts and the ability to execute and over achieve.
But early stage companies require a certain level of urgency, ingenuity and tenacity you just don’t find (or, frankly, need) in established companies. And larger companies put a premium on collaboration, patience, focus and the ability to make an infrastructure work for you that you just don’t have time for in startups.
This why you often see life long big company people flame out within a year of joining a small, early stage company that doesn’t have all of the resources they are used to having. It’s also why you see founders quickly leave when their lock up periods end after they sell their companies to bigger players — the thrill of the chase at a big company is just not the same.
As we discussed this dynamic, my colleague said something off the cuff that stuck with me. We were talking about how we both tend to put a higher value on working with people who are relentless, and he says:
“You know, I always believe if you stop pushing, it stops moving.”
He was relating it specifically to the challenges of operating within a big company infrastructure, but I saw it as one of the rare things you could say about a startup as well.
In fact, it was a comment that I think holds true regardless of company or situation you find yourself.
If you stop pushing, it stops moving.
We all have things we want to do. Goals to achieve.
Then things happen...
The economy slows. Maybe we experience health issues or a family member gets sick. Obstacles get in our way. As we saw this past week, even the best “people first” companies experience layoffs. Circumstances that were once going smoothly, that we thought we had figured out, can become muddled in an instant.
If you stop pushing, it stops moving.
No matter what the situation may be, it ain’t going to fix itself. Things will not get back to normal or going in a positive direction on their own. You need to do the pushing (whatever that “pushing” may be) and own the outcome.
And, by the way, pushing doesn’t always require taking proactive action — it doesn’t mean you need to increase the pace or get frantic. It can simply mean committing to be resilient.
As we start down our paths in 2023, remember that your own journey may not be certain. Things may get off track or start going in a direction you didn’t expect.
If it happens, take a moment to collect yourself. Don’t judge yourself harshly or beat yourself up. Don’t get angry or frustrated. Take a deep breath. Be patient. Remind yourself you can handle it. You will figure things out.
And then start doing the work to get yourself back on track.
Remind yourself: if you stop pushing, it stops moving.
It may get uncomfortable, or even painful. But if you are relentless, the discomfort will be temporary. Keep pushing — it will keep moving….
With that, we move on to this week’s articles. I am pretty confident that the links part of the newsletter will change over the coming weeks — just not as easy to share curated stories on this platform as on Revue. Again, open to feedback, thoughts or ideas. Have a great week!
XOXO
Dave
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