The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
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The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
Foster likens his approach with Zapier to playing poker. Sure, there’s a general set of guidelines and best practices to follow, but there’s no golden rule that applies to every single hand. “We tried to deeply understand the cards that we were dealt and if the advice applies in the particular situation that we've got,” he says.
The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
As an extension of this “don’t hire until it hurts” philosophy, Foster notes that Zapier was very hesitant in the early days to bring on anyone with management experience (even though the founding trio themselves didn’t have any). “Our first people managers were just me, my co-founders, and early employees that we promoted into those roles. We were... See more
The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
Early stages require both execution and strategy, the doers and the managers. Find both.
If you remain flexible – even in the places where you really do think you got it right – and give yourself the chance to be proven incorrect, you’re setting yourself and your company up for success.
The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
The future of work is flexible - teams need partners that are flexible and and allow for flexibility in their work structures.
“Lots of folks have said to us, ‘You’re growing, you could grow faster if you hired more people.’ I think a lot of companies and investors overpitch growth at all costs, but sometimes that causes a ‘more people more problems’ issue .”
It should come as no surprise by now that Foster politely said, “Thanks, but no thanks,” to these well-meaning folk... See more
It should come as no surprise by now that Foster politely said, “Thanks, but no thanks,” to these well-meaning folk... See more
The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
Think about distribution from day one
If you’re going to build a product, you want people to use it. But far too often, founders get drawn to the building and tinkering side of the business, forgoing the go-to-market piece until they’re actually ready to get out and sell.
That ’s a mistake, says Foster. “I think one of the biggest things that founder... See more
If you’re going to build a product, you want people to use it. But far too often, founders get drawn to the building and tinkering side of the business, forgoing the go-to-market piece until they’re actually ready to get out and sell.
That ’s a mistake, says Foster. “I think one of the biggest things that founder... See more
The Not So Cookie-Cutter Approach to Company Building — 8 Lessons from Zapier
Building startups is not a particularly glamorous thing in spite of how the media makes it look. A lot of it is just doing sales or doing customer support hundreds of thousands of times over and over again and being really committed to becoming exceptional at it.