Five Must-Have Traits for Startup Success
Your Game-Plan is Only as Good as Your Team
We’ve just passed the one month mark for several of our new hires, and I’m reflecting on just what that means. As a business leader, deciding who to hire and when to hire are among my most important decisions. Recruiting new talent into the company is vital to the goals we have set for Blue Ocean.
Over the past month, we’ve asked a lot of our new teammates – and in fact, our whole team – and I’m so pleased to say that they have been up to the challenge.
In just a short while, we’ve launched a new architectural design solution in Skema, helped establish the next generation software category of BIM 2.0, made a splash at three trade shows, and inked key partnerships with architecture firms looking to future-enable their business.
How have we been able to succeed?
The old adage is true —
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Here are five behaviors that I see each one of our teammates show on a daily basis. They are essential to our success.
1. Function with a startup mindset
A startup culture is different from an established business in many ways. In a startup, getting something done usually requires extra steps. It’s not just: get something done. Rather, it’s: decide what you want to do, figure out what system or process needs to be built for the first time, build it (don’t forget the trouble shooting), and then get it done. We have a laser focus on what outcomes we want to achieve, but we don’t always have fully defined tasks.
This mindset is enabling us to get our cloud-based solutions into the AEC market and implemented quickly. Our customers expect us to be more than one step ahead of them, and we can only do that if we implement, measure, refine, and repeat. It’s an essential component of our game plan.
2. Contribute
We’re certainly living out the old adage, “we’re building the plane while we’re flying it.” Our team is constantly being asked to think on their feet.
At #A23Con, the AIA Conference on Architecture in San Francisco in June, we put our new hires in the booth. We put their adaptability and problem-solving skills to the test.
Consider the task. They had to become so good at using Skema that they could demo it in the booth, learn about our company so well that they could talk about it with the hundreds of people who came to our booth across the two days of the Expo, and represent the company as if they were long term associates. What a tall order!
I was so pleased with how well it went. Over the two days of A’23, they successfully showcased Skema and engaged with hundreds of architects and designers. Then, and since, they have proven themselves to be enthusiastic contributors, going above and beyond in creating training videos and actively testing new conceptual design features.
I was so pleased with how well it went.
Over the two days of A’23, the team successfully showcased Skema through demos and engaged with hundreds of architects and designers.
Then, and since, they have proven themselves to be enthusiastic contributors, going above and beyond in creating training videos and actively testing new conceptual design features.
3. Learn from success and failure
We’ve invested great amounts of energy into delivering an architectural software solution that offers unique benefits to the market. But we’re still learning as we go. As we get feedback and find out new information, we’re leaning into things that are working great. We constantly look to identify what’s bringing us success, and then do more of it. Luckily we’ve had quite a few of those. But we do not shy away from the things that don’t work.
This affinity for failure is easier said than done. Turning mistakes into learning opportunities is a complex process interwoven with emotion. My job is to set the tone across the team that mistakes and failures are the table stakes for creativity, innovation and growth.
4. Expect new ways of doing business
What does it mean when we say we are a lab-to-market solution provider? It means we tie our business success to the success of our partners. We’re in it for the long term. We go the distance to help them win work faster and with less effort. We’re working with many of our partners in a format we call “staff extension,” which blurs the line between provider and client.
We don’t always know what that looks like. How much time should we allot to a given task? Are the roles and responsibilities fixed, or do they shift over time? What about reporting structures? These uncertainties could derail progress on a project. But our try and try again attitude keeps us focused on the goal rather than the hurdles.
Trust is at the heart of successfully forging this new way of doing business. I trust my team to do their best work and to communicate the good, the bad, and the 'meh.’ And we have trust with our partners to do the same. I believe we are doing something both unusual and important. It takes all of us to forge new ground.
5. Appreciate different perspectives
We like to say we are a company by architects for architects because we fundamentally understand the issues that architects face. But we certainly aren’t aiming to have a company of clones. Different perspectives and experiences are helping to inform our direction as we grow. I appreciate it when a teammate brings up an idea that had never before crossed my mind.
What does this look like in practice? Support the “what if” questions. Appreciate those who act without asking for permission first.
Stay humble, hungry, and smart
We hire for the set of attitudes we call humble, hungry, and smart, because we think these are the attributes essential to our success and our clients’ success. We’ve thrown our new team members into new situations, and I’ve been thrilled to witness their immense contribution to our team and projects.
Our team – both the new and the seasoned professionals – have shown that they have the right problem-solving skills, the right attitude, and a big dose of enthusiasm to jump in to the often murky waters of a startup. I couldn’t be more pleased with our team.
Interested in learning more about what Skema and our high performing team can do for your firm? Email us at info@blueoceanaec.com.