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Run Your Startup Like a Cult

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Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#31

Post by artisanalbacon »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #19
TheCapn wrote: post #8

Articles like this make me believe that even if I managed to find my way into Silicon Valley I simply wouldn't fit in. My job is not my identity, I feel its healthy to generate a life outside your work that is entirely separate; heck I see it as a necessity for longevity in life to have such segregation. I've turned down jobs that promote "monthly massages", "beer fridays", "gaming evenings", and other perks like the…

I've turned down jobs that promote "monthly massages", "beer fridays", "gaming evenings", and other perks like the article mentions because when you step back and look at it they're trying to replace your life outside of work with excuses why you shouldn't leave work. Bind your job to your necessities and leaving becomes so much harder. This isn't always the case, especially in larger companies. Sometimes perks are j…

I'd say perks are never just perks, especially in larger companies.

Every perk is a line on a balance sheet that someone is justifying. If that person wants to keep their job, that justification isn't "just perks".

The only place where perks are just perks is small companies that aren't startups.

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#33

Post by mattgreenrocks »

TheCapn wrote: post #8

Articles like this make me believe that even if I managed to find my way into Silicon Valley I simply wouldn't fit in. My job is not my identity, I feel its healthy to generate a life outside your work that is entirely separate; heck I see it as a necessity for longevity in life to have such segregation. I've turned down jobs that promote "monthly massages", "beer fridays", "gaming evenings", and other perks like the…

The fact that this sets off alarm bells means you're well-adjusted, not weird. This is institutionalized conformity at it's best. It smacks of immature college grads trying fruitlessly to fill the social void that emerges from both workaholism and leaving college.

Demand interesting problems, reasonable autonomy, good pay (incl. equity), a real business plan (yeah I'm a dreamer), and a regular work schedule. The rest is details.

Life's too short to sell your social life to your employer.

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#34

Post by jiggy2011 »

marcocampos wrote: post #27
jiggy2011 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've turned down jobs that promote "monthly massages", "beer fridays", "gaming evenings", and other perks like the article mentions because when you step back and look at it they're trying to replace your life outside of work with excuses why you shouldn't leave work. Bind your job to your necessities and leaving becomes so much harder. This isn't always the case, especially in larger companies. Sometimes perks are j…

Companies are in the business of making money. They only provide perks because they believe that it makes you a happier employee and that way you will work better and/or more hours. Perks aren't just perks. They are an incentive that either complements or replaces higher pay/better conditions. Never believe that they are giving you free drinks, lunch, gym membership and laundry services because, well, why not?

Once a company goes beyond a certain scale these perks can be delivered quite cheaply, at a much lower per employee cost than the employee would ever be able to get for themselves. This is one of the things a big company can use to entice people away from small startups where they might not get similar perks.

Having say a small fund to use for sporting activities can improve interpersonal relationships between employees and provide a way for new employees who might have relocated for the job a way to meet new people. The dividends this can pay can be well in excess of the costs.

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#35

Post by mattgreenrocks »

themoonbus wrote: post #2

"Hire Employees Who Are Excited to Wear Your Logo on Their Hoodies" I was hoping this article wasn't as ridiculous as the headline, and some of the advice is good... but it's stuff like this, Silicon Valley. Is it possible anymore to just want to work hard on an interesting problem, or do I really have to be a "fanatic" about it?

I'm pretty cynical on the number of hard problems that SV faces. The preoccupation with growth and money-making precludes a lot of interesting problems.

R&D might be more up your alley.

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#36

Post by soneca »

I would like to know more about WhatsApp culture. Small team, incredible talent, unbelievable outcome. Pretty sure even Peter Thiel would consider them to be among the "best startups". I think they give signs not to be this kind of cult, but they don't do lots of interviews, so it is hard to know.

Anyone have a more privileged view on this?

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#37

Post by gooseus »

Why not just adapt these 7 steps?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-mason/start-your-own-cul...

I'll give it a shot:

How to make a Cult Startup in 7 Steps:

1) Begin with the Vision. It must be capitalized and either already be validated by pillars of an industry or actively opposed by them (because it's so disruptive).

2) Setup your inner management circle, make sure it includes big name advisors, partners that ensure immediate market penetration and investors that are always about to drop millions in the next round. It's not required that any employees ever see or speak to these people beyond a single meeting, which should also be a party to distract from any deep inquiry or feedback.

3) Make sure your employees are chasing a moving target and are under continually increasing external pressure. If they get close to a product, change the requirements... then say an important demo is only a week away to ensure they work day and night. Start small and soon your employees will be sleeping in the office and giving up holidays and weekends for your Vision.

4) Always have stories of the last meeting you or other members of the elite group attended. Make sure anecdotes are exciting and perfectly validate the Vision and it's end goals. Your employees are already familiar with stories of billion dollar buyouts and paradigm shifting applications.

5) Hire from the friends of your employees. This has the double advantage of rapidly growing your startup (from 4 to 16 employees in just 2 months!) while allowing you to mix your employees loyalties to each other with their loyalty to the Vision.

6) Keep everyone busy and excited. Always have an upcoming investor demo that is very important and leave no room for downtime which could be used to question product viability, technology decisions, or anything related to the Vision. Stock the fridge and cabinets with caffeine, junk food and alcohol to keep energy level high and overall cognition low.

7) Always talk about the Vision related to the eventual payoff. Changing an industry/the world for idealists or billion dollar buyouts for the more materially minded. It doesn't matter, you're doing what Google and Facebook and Uber and Amazon have done; and they should expect to enter the same paradise when their time comes.

That was fun, hooray satire! Enjoy the rest of your day everyone!

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#38

Post by javajosh »

TheCapn wrote: post #8

Articles like this make me believe that even if I managed to find my way into Silicon Valley I simply wouldn't fit in. My job is not my identity, I feel its healthy to generate a life outside your work that is entirely separate; heck I see it as a necessity for longevity in life to have such segregation. I've turned down jobs that promote "monthly massages", "beer fridays", "gaming evenings", and other perks like the…

What if you founded the company - would you wear the company logo more often? I think the common sense and entirely reasonable answer would be "Yes, of course I would". And therein lies the beginning of a productive conversation pinning down the real difference between owning a company and just working there. In fact, it might also be the start of a good convo regarding how workplaces, and our relationships to them, have changed over the years - wearing the company logo uniform might have been required in our factory-driven past, but with the fracturing of market attention, companies making small, virtual services need all the help they can get to reach their market, including things like social media mentions from every employee.

And so the blurring of personal and work lives begins. This is not a new phenomena - so-called "promoters" have been doing it forever, and it's given charismatic, attractive people with a penchant for parties, small talk, and manipulation a way to make a living that's borderline honest. Engineers especially resent the addition of a work responsibility that we didn't sign up for. We make it work; we don't market it.

Which segues into the third interesting convo, talk about the possibility that fractured public attention might try to ground and balance itself by paying more attention to people who know what they're talking about. For better or for worse, people who can write real software do in fact know how to do something hard and real, and so people will listen to us, perhaps more than we realize.

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#39

Post by smacktoward »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #34
marcocampos wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies are in the business of making money. They only provide perks because they believe that it makes you a happier employee and that way you will work better and/or more hours. Perks aren't just perks. They are an incentive that either complements or replaces higher pay/better conditions. Never believe that they are giving you free drinks, lunch, gym membership and laundry services because, well, why not?

Once a company goes beyond a certain scale these perks can be delivered quite cheaply, at a much lower per employee cost than the employee would ever be able to get for themselves. This is one of the things a big company can use to entice people away from small startups where they might not get similar perks. Having say a small fund to use for sporting activities can improve interpersonal relationships between employ…

> Once a company goes beyond a certain scale these perks can be delivered quite cheaply, at a much lower per employee cost than the employee would ever be able to get for themselves. This is one of the things a big company can use to entice people away from small startups where they might not get similar perks.

Or you could just, you know, pay them more.

Re: Run Your Startup Like a Cult

#40

Post by left_a_cult »

TheCapn wrote: post #8

Articles like this make me believe that even if I managed to find my way into Silicon Valley I simply wouldn't fit in. My job is not my identity, I feel its healthy to generate a life outside your work that is entirely separate; heck I see it as a necessity for longevity in life to have such segregation. I've turned down jobs that promote "monthly massages", "beer fridays", "gaming evenings", and other perks like the…

I used to work for a startup that took Peter Thiel's cult culture advice to heart. They paid employees 60-80% of market salary in exchange for the chance to participate in their mission to change an industry. Free food abounded, and there was a cultural expectation to stay at work through dinner.

The result? From what I've seen, this company is still doing well, but around a dozen employees I knew have left. Hopefully they make the compensation changes required to make employees feel respected for their time.

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