- First evident thing is that once you got there, you will notice big difference between what was told and sold to you during the hiring process and what you get in reality.
- Behind nice and shiny façade + specially constructed decorations to lure you in, there is a plenty of semi-anyhow-assembled constructions and dysfunctional processes you are about to take over and no one from the “leadership” can explain you why they even started it build it, what they were rely on making such decisions and what are the expectations.
- The problem gets deeper once you discover, that there is no any business strategy in place since the inception and what they were creating so far was because of it’s cool to create such things.
- Once things started to sour and business stagnate in 2021 it led to switch to kind of desperation mode and (presumably) realization that something needs to be changed.
- It led to all kinds of initiatives from `OKRs`, `Performance Management`, `Customer Success` or `Cultural Acceptance Criteria` started to pour from founder(s) each month layering on top of each other. The rationale to start any of such initiatives would be `Why not?`, `In some smart book it was written so` or `somebody’s friends implemented it in just few weeks`.
- When barely everything of this started to (predictably) miserably fail, the anger and frustration from top funneled into the mode of finding scape goats to blame.
- The “Feedback Culture” without proper supervision and big deviation from the initial idea transformed into the chaotic throwing of negativity into each other. When you did not even ask for it, it will find its way to you anyways.
- CEO started to put down other co-founders in front of others, eventually throwing them away from any strategical / tactical meetings, so the rest of the team didn't know where other co-founders are and what they are doing. They were operationally absent.
- Despite of many hours being invested overtime, things being built and delivered, aforementioned initiatives collaboratively implemented … I was fired in just one day. By CEO. From his vacation. No severance package paid, nothing. Violating their own rules from so-called `Handbook`. Just message posted in Slack by him that I left. There was no even a chance to farewell with others properly.
- The given reason is laughable and had nothing to do with reality. No any notices given prior to it too. To avoid legal implications they employ people as contractors. The contract itself is highly asymmetrical and gives other party permission to do whatever they want also charging you big $$ for a breach. Me naïvely signed this contract with promise it’s going to be replaced in couple of months .. and guess what?! It never happened :)
So, all-in-all it results into:
- 5/5 known dysfunctions of a team;
- No leadership and management shown by founders and no trust to them as they know what they want, what they do and how it’s connected;
- A lot of politics and cliquery for a such small team.
- Fake and absolutely dysfunctional openness and transparency “culture”. Each word said can be used against you later.
- Toxic masculinity and authoritarian way of overriding your plan or agenda, cause boss is always right.
- Poor ethics and blame culture;
- Blatant lies and promises not being kept;
- Unclear growth plans, opportunities and expectations.
