The Evolution of a Startup to a 2,000 People Company: A Q&A Session with an Expert

Introduction

Starting a company is a challenging journey, but the real challenge comes as the company grows, and its culture changes. As a company evolves and expands, it brings exciting challenges and unexpected surprises. However, the true success of a company lies in how it deals with these changes. In this article, we speak with an expert who has been involved in a startup from its initial stages to its current 2,000 people organization.

Q&A

How have you seen the culture of the company change as it has grown?

As the company grew, so did its culture. Initially, it was easy to maintain a startup-like culture. However, as the employee count increased, it became necessary to instill more structure and process while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit so that everyone was aligned to work towards shared goals. We managed this by holding regular town hall meetings where we shared our vision and values with the employees. We also encouraged employees to give feedback and ensure that everyone in the company felt heard and valued.

How do you manage to stay up-to-date with the company’s growth and changes?

It’s crucial to pay attention to the evolution of the company as it grows. It’s not just about the numbers but also understanding how the employees feel about the changes. To remain in sync with the company’s growth, we conduct regular surveys to understand how employees feel and whether the company’s values reflect their own. This enables us to make necessary changes and ensure that everyone is aligned.

What are some of the challenges you faced as the company grew?

One of the biggest challenges was managing the rapid growth of the team. When I first joined, there were just 25 people. However, as the company grew, it wasn’t feasible to continue relying on face-to-face communication only. It was important to introduce more formal communication methods and create a process for everything. Another challenge was hiring and onboarding the right people. As the organization grew, we had to be more selective and thorough during the hiring process to ensure the people joining the team shared our vision.

What did you do to maintain the culture of the company during the growth phase?

At the core of the company culture was transparency and feedback. To keep this alive, we made an effort to listen and act on feedback from our employees, even if it was criticism. We held weekly town hall meetings where the leadership team would share updates, and employees could ask questions. This helped us to constantly check that we are aligned to our mission and that everyone is working towards the same goals.

How has technology influenced the growth of the company?

Technology has played a major role in both the growth and the culture of the company. For example, early in our journey, we used Skype for all of our meetings. However, we quickly realized this wasn’t scalable and needed a more streamlined approach. This led us to adopt more tools and platforms like Zoom, Slack, and Asana, which enabled us to personalize our communication and collaboration style while also keeping everyone focused on timely delivery.

What advice would you give for someone starting a company?

The main piece of advice I would give is to not underestimate the importance of values and culture. Create a culture that is authentic, grounded in values and that will last the test of time. Ensure that your employees are aligned with your vision as this will keep them motivated and engaged. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to make changes when needed. As the company evolves, so too should the culture.

What are some of the defining moments of the company’s growth?

One of the defining moments of the company’s growth was when we reached 500 employees. This milestone made us realize that we were no longer a startup. It was also a moment that drove us to ensure that we maintained the culture while also being able to retain the entrepreneurial spirit. Another defining moment was when we experienced a product pivot. This impacted the culture, but we approached it as an opportunity to improve and grow, which resulted in the company being more efficient and effective.

Conclusion

The evolution of a company is a journey that involves challenges, growth, and surprises that require effective management from the leadership team. The core values and culture should remain the same while the company grows and changes. The key to success is to remain authentic, listen to feedback and ensure that everyone is aligned to work towards common goals. A startup that adapts to changes and manages to navigate growth, can achieve long-term success.