I've been with the Yarno crew for over a year now, and my, what an exciting time it has been!
My Yarno journey has been a little unconventional, from dipping my toes into the startup world as an intern to diving headfirst into being a fully functioning team member.
It seems super cliché considering that we literally build learning software for a living, but I honestly have learned something new every single day. Right from the very beginning, too.
Let me quickly run over what I learnt on my first few hours at Yarno.
- How to use several new software tools (namely Slack & Trello - you guys rock)
- A complete rundown of the Yarno story, from conception to current day – the research, the setbacks and what the future might look like
- What a wireframe is and how the dev process works (Mark and Lachy were designing the wires for the admin screens of the platform, and I got to be a part of that - on day one)
- That this was a place I was excited to come to every day
I knew working in a small team would be a different work climate than what I'd experienced in the past, but I hadn't nearly anticipated the impact it would have on my character, resilience and confidence in such a short period.
Culture isn't just ping-pong tables and standing desks
The word startup carries a certain stereotype. Just say the word, and people will think you're wearing a hoodie and sneakers (we do wear hoodies and sneakers, but that's beside the point) trying to create a do-all-everything-VR-AR-AI-social-platform-app that's going to end poverty, cure cancer and reverse climate change.
Oh, and all from a standing desk, a beach in the Bahamas or on a beanbag in a co-working space with the office dog.
But what people don't understand is that 'startup' is just another word for small business. And like any small business, it's incredibly tough work for the people courageous enough to go out on a limb and start making a difference.
That's why committing to building a strong culture from the beginning is so important, and should involve more than social outings and Friday drinks. As well as the fun stuff, we consistently practice skills that help us grow as individuals and as a company. Namely;
- Joel's feedback sessions
- Weekly Pechakucha presentations in the team WIP (these are super fun and incredible for improving presentation skills & speaking concisely)
- Weekly 1-1's with our managers
Things change frequently, and usually for the better
The Yarno story is a testament to this learning. Guess what happened when Yarno V1 didn't go down the road that was originally paved (with an entire system built on top…)
Lachy and Mark used what they learnt from the venture to create a solid, well-formed product that solves real problems. Want to know why it was viable? Because they actually went out and spoke to our customers. Gasp.
I look way better in hats than I thought
I started my role here as a content writer. Here's what I do now:
- Content writing
- Social media
- Market research
- Competitor analysis
- Copywriting
- Email marketing
- Web design
- Managing web projects
So to say that my job description has broadened would be an understatement. It’s uncomfortable wearing a bunch of hats that don’t quite fit right, but eventually they wear in.
Asking questions ≠ being incapable
This is something that even a year in I’m still trying to get the hang of.
Asking questions is the best way to improve at anything. Unfortunately, most of us don't like to ask them. We avoid asking questions because sometimes, it's awkward, and maybe we feel as if people will think we lack ability.
It's especially tough for those of us who have just graduated uni, full of knowledge, to hit the real world and realise that we don't know much at all.
But learning to work hard, ask questions and continually improve will prove beneficial in any job role.
Measure results, not time spent
One thing that’s not conducive to long-term success (unless of course, you’re Elon Musk or Gary Vaynerchuck) is flogging your mind and body, working 12+ hours every day, over weekends and late into the night.
Granted, it sometimes happens when totally necessary, but the ‘startup grind’ mentality isn’t something we want to encourage.
Burnout is serious, and in fact, may have more impact on your productivity and output than the extra hours spent.
Teamwork makes the dream something-something
The notion of ‘working as a team’ couldn't be personified better than in a small team. When we’re all in a room together - we do incredible work.
Whenever there's a deadline or a bug that needs squishing, none of us thinks twice before all of us jump in and help each other out.
When I feel like I'm sucking at something, I can count on one of the guys to step in and help me work through it.
Regular check-ins are incredibly powerful
Each week, every member of the Yarno team has a 1-1 with Lachy. The meeting agenda is as follows:
“Our weekly conversation about how you're going- the good, the bad and (hopefully not so) the ugly.”
These meetings aren’t a performance review, a feedback session or status report. We don’t have to talk about anything specifically, and we can even choose to talk about nothing at all. We can talk about our families, our pets, our projects, things that excite us, or niggly feelings we can’t quite shake.
I've heard stories from friends that work in large companies about only having a one-to-one meeting with their manager once a quarter, or even once a year. It's insane.
Having regular check-ins allows managers to be on the same wavelength as their team and prevents little issues from falling through the cracks.
The verdict
Do I recommend working at a startup?
Hell yes I do! Why?
Because it's hard work, it's uncomfortable, confusing, stressful at times, and makes you think 'what the hell am I doing?!' on a regular basis.
BUT!
You're an important piece of a special little puzzle. People close to you rely on you. The work you do actually matters, and the way you approach your work gets noticed. This leads to being more responsible, versatile and willing to take on a challenge – qualities that are admired in whatever career path you choose.
And you'll learn way more along the way. What more could you want?
