Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job

Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Book | 2017

Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job

Abstract

Many professionals aspire to work for startups. Executives from large companies view them as models to help them adapt to today's dynamic innovation economy, while freshly minted MBAs see magic in founding something new. Yes, startups look magical, but they can also be chaotic and inaccessible. Many books are written for those who aspire to be founders, but a company only has one or two of those. What's needed is something that deconstructs the typical startup organization for the thousands of employees who join a fledgling company and do the day-to-day work required to grow it into something of value. Entering StartUpLand is a practical, step-by-step guide that provides an insider's analysis of various startup roles and responsibilities—including product management, marketing, growth, and sales—to help you figure out if you want to join a startup and what to expect if you do. You'll gain insight into how successful startups operate and learn to assess which ones you might want to join—or emulate. Inside this book you'll find 1) a tour of typical startup roles to help you determine which one might be the best fit for you, 2) profiles of startup executives across many different functions who share their stories and describe their responsibilities, and 3) a methodology to identify and evaluate startups and position yourself to find the opportunity that's right for you. Entering StartUpLand will guide you as you seek your ideal entry point into this popular, cutting-edge organizational paradigm.

Keywords: Business Startups; Managerial Roles; Job Search;

Format: Print

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Citation:

Bussgang, Jeffrey J. Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2017.

Laura Behrens Wu, CEO of software start-up Shippo, prepares her pitch for a Series A funding round following a successful seed round. Customer adoption of Shippo’s e-commerce dashboard application, which allows small and medium retailers to compare delivery rates between shipping providers and print package labels, has been steady in the nine months since it went live. But traction with the firm’s developer friendly product, an API that allows large enterprise customers to automate their shipping needs, had initially been slow until one customer single handedly tripled the API label volume in late August. Now in November 2014, with nine months of runway remaining, Behrens Wu must decide where to direct the company’s limited resources. Should Shippo stay focused on the app while raising the next round of funding, pivot to an API-focused strategy, or pursue both products?

Synthetic biology start-up C16 Biosciences wants to solve a big problem: replace palm oil, a major contributor to deforestation and climate change, with a lab-grown substitute. CEO Shara Ticku has ambitious plans to supply her lab-grown palm oil to food manufacturers, who use palm oil liberally in a variety of products from ice cream to margarine. In bringing her product to market, Ticku faces a tough decision. Should she roll out the product first in the personal care market, which has lower volumes and premium prices, or go straight for food? The meteoric rise of lab-grown meat company Impossible Foods has caught the attention of an investor, who wonders if C16 should tap into excitement about lab-grown foods to raise a Series A funding round. But are there merits to starting small?

In 2018, Carolyn Childers is preparing to launch Chief, a New York-based peer network for women executives, and must decide whether to bring on a co-founder. After becoming the senior vice president of operations at her previous company, Childers was inspired to build a community that provided mentorship, support, and networking opportunities to women executives. Childers is now preparing to meet with Lindsay Kaplan, a marketing executive who excels at building brand experience. Should Childers bring on Kaplan as a co-founder? If Childers takes on a co-founder, what do they need to agree on?

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Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job

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