It was 9 years ago today that this blog post went live on the Seismic blog.
It has since been archived but I was able to go into the wayback machine and pull these words out into the light.
Exact copy below:
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It’s 2014 and as a recent college graduate, one thing I know is that securing a salary job within two months of finishing school is not the norm. That said, having a great job at a cool, young company where I’m excited to go work with good people every day is something I feel fantastic about.
Upon finishing school I had a few different opportunities and the decision-making process between them was not taken lightly. Looking back, it probably took a few years off my life – but how else can you be sure you’re making the “right” decision? The answer is you cannot. One major takeaway would be that you’re never going to know if what you are doing is “right.” If you can find somewhere with good people who are doing something you can get behind, think about it, then say yes.
In a perfect world I would have finished school and jumped straight into an entrepreneurial venture with a handful of friends/teammates/classmates. I would have spent my time building something I’m passionate about with them from the ground up. As reality set in, I figured the best path to eventually founding my own company would be to hop on the bandwagon of a startup that has already gained some traction.
What’s the takeaway? Sometimes joining a team is easier than building one.
What is Working at a Startup Really Like?
As far as I can tell, it’s better than working in a cube at a huge corporation – unless that’s what you’re looking for. In my opinion working somewhere where I interact with the president, founder and key players in the organization on a daily basis is something that cannot be replaced.
5 Things You Can Expect
1. A changing environment
- Often, things aren’t going to be spelled out for you and there won’t be a playbook to refer to. Making things up on the fly and figuring out what works best is one of the fun parts of working at a startup. Don’t forget that is what you signed up for.
- Be willing to make mistakes and learn on the go. You’re building the framework for the people who follow you.
If something is not working, change it.
2. Technical speed bumps
- Chances are if you are in a small office, you won’t have IT. Some problems will require lots of “Google-ing” to solve.
3. Credit where it’s due
- If you think you have a good idea, say it. There’s no reason not to.
- If you do something noteworthy – you will get credit.
4. It’s not a 9-5
- Money never sleeps. Be prepared to work more than your friends at other jobs. They’re probably wearing suits, and you’re probably wearing a T-shirt.
5. Wildcard
- From time to time you will be assigned a wildcard task. I’m an inside sales rep, writing a blog post – case and point.
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For me it's kind of crazy to read this and look back on how much has happened since that period. From growing Seismic into a unicorn with over a thousand employees. When that was published I think there was about 6 of us in a small office downtown... to working at four other great tech companies in Boston to finally starting my own company. Just like I wrote 9 years ago, I'm taking all the lessons I've learned from these other companies, the good and the bad, and using that to build and scale Smoov.
Just thought I'd share a fun full circle founder moment.
Take it easy and keep it Smoov.
Best,
Tucker