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How to Succeed In A Startup

Posted in: Blog, Startups on December 3, 2009

While this blog discusses the elements that have helped me succeed in a startup environment it could just as easily be titled “Suggestions for success as a recent graduate” as it’s good advice for anyone entering a new field.  These points have also been written with a slant towards those in the software development world, my own area of expertise.

Find A Mentor:

Your first job is one of the greatest learning opportunities of your life and you should be prepared to make the most of it. When you find someone to learn from, everyone wins. It gives the mentor a sense of fulfillment and provides you with the chance to continue your education in a less formal environment. Try to learn from the design patterns that they use, how they leverage different technologies and the organizational patterns they follow in their code. This does not mean you should duplicate them exactly, but if they have been at the software development game for a while, there’s a good chance they know what they’re doing.

Require Transparency:

Young or old, startup or massive corporation, by accepting employment at any company you are trusting your livelihood with those who are employing you. They should respect this trust by keeping you informed of the financial status of the company as well as any uncertainty regarding your employment. Anything less shows a lack of respect for employees and poor character on the part of those employing you.

Take Ownership Of Your Product:

Your first software development position affords you the opportunity to establish a reputation as a quality coder and employee which will follow you for the rest of your career. Make the most of it! This is your code, your product, your culture, your time to shine. Particularly if you are fortunate enough to be on the ground floor of development, you have the opportunity to cement yourself as the “go to” engineer.

The benefits reach beyond your reputation as a software engineer and into the areas of job security, respect and success.
These are all simply points that I have picked up in my own short time as a software engineer. If you have any to add to the list, please, comment!

–Ben