在创业公司工作是种怎样的体验？
Iris, a Sydney-based student in my February writing workshop, recently asked me about my one year and a half's experience at a startup. I thought this is a good chance to experiment with the question-and-answer format for some of the Wednesday posts. So here we go.
1. Iris: Have you worked at other types of companies before the startup?
Justin: Yes. I have worked a couple of paid full time jobs since 2010, when I finished college. I cut my teeth working as an English writing instructor and tutor at Laoluo English School for a year and half before moving to the US for a master's degree. Because of my family, I took a year off and came back to Beijing to join a smart home automation company called Savant. Broadly speaking, however, I have worked since I was in high school, taking unpaid jobs and doing volunteer work that helped hone my communication skills and broadened my outlook.
2. Iris: If you have worked at other companies, why did you want to hop to the startup? If the startup is your first job, why did you take it as your career start (instead of famous multinational companies which are many new graduates' first choice)?
Justin: Technically, I did not hop to the startup. After graduation from St. John's College in Maryland, I flew to San Jose of California to embark on a new journey--joining a small startup. It did not quite pan out, so I moved to San Francisco. There I lived a footloose life exploring the city while looking for new and solid opportunities. The chance came when a friend of my then roommate visited San Francisco. She was considering joining a personal concierge company in Beijing, and we explored the nascent idea together.
Soon I decided to join Laiye, because I wanted to get some experience firsthand in a high tech startup to learn about how to turn an idea into a product and scale it up. Also, I was fascinated by the product we were envisioning and impressed by the track record of the cofounders. Plus, AI (artificial intelligence) was a sexy idea. Who doesn't want to give it a try?
I am never a big fan of big companies. I love small and nimble teams that get things done. I cannot bear wearing a suit to work everyday. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops are the best. I guess in that regard, I am a hacker at heart. I have no patience for red tape, formalities, and pomposity. I am more of a doer and go-getter.
3. Iris: According to your experience, what do you think is the biggest difference between a startup and a relatively mature/big company?
Justin: I have to say there are so many differences. They make people either love or loathe startups. The most striking difference seems to be that most startups are born fast, flexible and ferocious. Mark Zuckerberg once famously said, "Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough." I think this aptly captures the three attributes.
This is not to say that mature companies are less competitive. They have an edge in many respects that startups lack and envy. Let's say, mature corporate structure, validated business model, healthy cash flow, market penetration, experience in a given industry, business alliance, generally well-established government public relations and so forth.
Nevertheless, they have their Achilles heel. They are big, bureaucratic and blind. The effectiveness of top-down communication is a challenge haunting many CEOs and senior leadership. Bureaucracy slows down expansion and progress. They frequently lose sight of emerging opportunities that will make themselves stronger or eat into their share of market one day.
Thankfully, these shortcomings can be managed. Take Google and Apple, for example. The behemoths started from a handful of cofounders and early employees in garages of Silicon Valley. Aside from their colossal commercial success, they have reinvented a culture that keeps them formidable and competitive. The new corporate culture recognizes problems normally associated with big corporations, and distills the best from both worlds of fearless startups and conventional corporations.
4. Iris: What kind of persons were there? (major, academic background, age, characteristics etc.)
Justin: We were a young and energetic team. No single colleague was born before 1980. We were diverse in many ways. Many were US-educated; a few preferred the UK. Japan, Russia, the Netherlands and Malaysia are also represented. Both CEO and CTO have a PhD in machine learning. Quite a few majored in management, engineering and sciences. Two front-end engineers are completely self-taught. People are kind, driven, disciplined, curious and extremely hard-working. Four members drastically lost weight over a course of months, the envy of the entire company. So it was a nice bunch of fellas.
5. Iris: What drives you to leave there and start your own career?
Justin: Life priorities vary from stage to stage. I am an entrepreneur by birth, and figured it was time to start my own startup. I am a person driven by instinct and values, not interests.
I wanted to build something strong and lasting and respectable.
I was especially inspired by the remarkable story of Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, an online shoe and clothing shop acquired by Amazon. He is a true genius and visionary who has set a shining example for the service industry to emulate. Worldwide. Yes he has made lots of money, but he has also won the hearts and minds of his employees, customers, and even rivals.
I was convicted that a truly successful company should be and can be successful both in business and happiness. I was excited about the idea of creating irreplaceable value that people badly need. To match this ambition with down-to-earth endeavors, I found what I am most passionate about and competent in has been English writing. So I have taken the same path I did years ago, but with a different twist this time around.
6. Iris: Under what circumstances did you set up the official Wechat account back in 2013?
Justin: At the time I was taking a year off my graduate program to work in Beijing. Wechat was at the beginning of its heyday. A friend and former colleague registered a public account and I followed suit. My idea was to pick up The Economist commentary column which I first started in 2009, when I was a junior in college. So it was purely out of interest. I enjoyed writing, and thankfully, many of my friends and their friends enjoyed my writings too. Looking back, I was probably the first person to write commentaries on the language and style of The Economist on Wechat. It's been a good ride.
欢迎在文末留言区用英文提问。我会选择仔细思考过的，问得好的和表述清晰的问题用英文详细作答。问题包括但不限和英语写作相关的。
题图：来也旧办公室外景。
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