Today, the opportunity to purchase my vested stock in Mahalo.com expires. Letting that happen is a great way to stamp fini on my time with an Internet start-up. I’ve been looking forward to it for three months.
I started at the company as an on-site contractor in April of 2007, became a regular employee in June of that year and, along with about half the regular full time editorial staff, was laid off at the end of October, 2008. Not long, really. Less than two percent of what I confidently assume will be my entire life. During that time, I learned a lot from my co-workers, managers and the officers of the company.
Top Ten Lessons From My Time With a Start-Up
Here are some of the things I learned, beliefs I had confirmed and resolutions that were strengthened by my eighteen months at Mahalo.com.
- Always Do What’s Right.
- Fear of Advocacy Reveals a Need for Advocacy.
- Work to Live.
- Pay On Time, Every Time.
- Law Trumps Want.
- Deeds Trump Charisma.
- Don’t Build a Mirror by Looking In a Mirror.
- Flat Hierarchies Require Equilateral Respect.
- Don’t Ask the Plumber to be the Architect.
- There is Only One Math.
Practical Take-Aways
I learned a lot about search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, Internet research trends and MediaWiki. It was my pleasure to take part in a discussion with Chris Anderson. I got to hear Andrew Keen present his view of the commons, Internet culture and creativity, and his opinions — entirely in opposition to my own — helped reinvigorate my commitments. I got to spend a lot of time thinking about how people use the Internet and social media. I helped build something, and however fleeting that construct may turn out to be, it was a great exercise.
The Next Chapter
The next chapter is largely unwritten… and anyway, one can only divide one’s life into chapters when each chapter closes, not before. What comes next is, unavoidably, unknown.
It’s my hope that I keep the lessons from this last chapter — the ten listed here and many, many others — at the ready from here on out. I’ll be writing more about how I plan to do that in future posts.
Scribtotum
I’d like to see you expand each of those ten lessons. I have some idea what you mean by them, but not as clear as I’d like.
Thanks, Nicole. I will be expanding on some of them, probably in future posts or in a planned “ethics statement” I’ll be adding to this site. I didn’t want to make this post a manifesto, y’know?
Stay tuned!
Great post Matt! You hit the nail on the head with several of those lessons. Obviously being closer to the action and more in the mix, you had a better view than many. Keep your head up – I’m sure the best is yet to come for you.
Thank you, Michael. The eighteen months was time well spent — eye-opening and educational in many ways.
I’m with Nicole on this one, Matt. Each of those would be a worthwhile post, even an audio essay.
I have thoughts to do at least a few… I’ve got some drafts in various stages.
Don’t Ask the Plumber to be the Architect.
I don’t even want to know, do I?
You know, there are companies out there, that do this kind of thing for a living, I’m just saying, there’s no reason to do these excel spreadsheets….
I always thought the reason to do those Excel spreadsheets was job security… d’oh!
Interesting post from @mwsmedia: http://is.gd/gZor
Hey Matt –
Very well said. I look forward to a detailed exploration of your 10 lessons. #3, #9 and #10 have a special resonance.
Thanks, Cathy. Deeper noodling on this post will probably be spread out among other blog posts, podcast episodes and some kind of “ethics statement” page on this site… though such things are often just invitations to be called a hypocrite! What the hey.
Indeed you did inspire me to create my own short list of startup tips. I look forward to seeing your elaboration.
For anyone interested: http://www.angryken.com/startup-tips/
Yeah, I need to put those elaborations on my official to-do list and move ‘em up the priority ladder. Eventually. Stuff that provides income must come first these days (still laid off, y’know.)
Folks, Ken and I had a shared experience that led to my post and to his. Be sure to read Ken’s start-up tips and subscribe to his Angry Ken blog!
First off, I still hate you, Selznick. But I hope you’re doing well.
Secondly, though I was the last person to read this, I agree with your Top 10…
What I don’t get is this “plumber” you refer to. For the record, just ’cause you clogged many a toilet at the job, it doesn’t make you a “plumber.” You were a damn good architect, though. Of greenhouses. And greenhouse gases.
Hey there Brad! Tell me I’m a genius, dammit! <– inside joke, readers
Glad you liked the Top 10. I guess you weren’t at the table for the plumbers and architect discussion. That must have been one of those days you and your posse went off to get milkshakes or cupcakes or some such instead of sitting listening attentively to every word I said!
As for the toilets… I can’t comment due to an undoubtedly ironclad non-disparagement clause in my work agreement.
Matt, you’re a genius.
It’s just a damn shame you had that toilet problem. The good news is, there was a smell far more worse coming from a certain boss’ office. BOO YA!
Badump bump!
You said you learned from your co-workers…..
So what the hell did you learn from me?!
What I could have learned from you was how to keep my head down. Alas, I’ve never been that bright.
The only reason I kept my head down was ’cause I kept losing money working there, and wanted to see if I dropped some loose change on the floor. Unfortunately, the damn dogs would eat it up before I could do anything.
You were lucky if they only ate your loose change, and didn’t, um, take it out of circulation via bodily function. When every day is take-your-dog-to-work day, one would think one would housebreak them first.
Hi Matt,
I didn’t know you that well, but I also worked at that poor excuse for a company. I walked out.
So I would add to your list: 11) ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B. At a place like where we worked, it’s always the better plan. Don’t trust your superiors to have your best interests in mind, because more often than not, they got to be superiors by abusing their way to the top. A true leader is a virtuous leader, and karma will always — always — come round. Trust it.
OK, here’s another: ) IF YOU ARE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP, LEAVE. I left the second it became abusive. Nobody talks to me disrespectfully because I am a professional. Always remain a professional and treat yourself as such.
The people who worked there were some of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. The leadership was cancerous.
Good luck with everything!
Hey there Ryan — I remember you! Yes, an environment fueled by virtuous leadership is certainly the best to hope for. Fortunately most of the good people who worked with us have found other, hopefully healthier, opportunities. The ones who are left will land on their feet one way or another.
Looking around the interwebs, it seems you’re doing all right for yourself after moving on. Glad to hear it, and keep in touch!
Wow I’m surprised I haven’t read this post till now. But yeah… most of this list I can very much agree to. #8 and #9 especially I experienced first hand. So many smart people there, unfortunately in the wrong positions. Everyone for the most part is doing much better; so no matter the past, the now and future is way more important. So progress done? In any day and age I think we should be proud of moving forward, no matter what past circumstances are!
I agree, absolutely. Ideally we learn as much (or more!) from negative situations as we do from positive ones. I know I learned a lot from that experience. Excelsior!