Your Years of Work Experience might mean nothing in Saas

Your years of corporate experience may mean nothing in a startup. I have seen CEOs bragging that since they have years of corporate experience this will help them in building a successful Startup.

Today in this blog, we will discuss my personal experience on how years of corporate experience may mean nothing.

This blog is not to degrade anyone’s experience, but just a gentle reminder of the skills needed to build a successful startup.

The first startup I worked with was successfully acquired. After that, I co-founded a few start-ups and led some failed ventures. But luckily in the year 2020, during COVID, I started leading another startup in the Netherlands. I was responsible for leading the product in terms of technology and management.

The venture looked promising but the management looked way too confident with their decades of corporate experience.

So now let me guide you on how things are different in a startup:

1. Lack of Passion for Learning:

Corporate environments, although they foster expertise, can unintentionally suppress the innate curiosity and eagerness for learning that drives startups. In the startup world, where disruptive technologies and emerging trends are the standards, a sincere passion for continuous learning is not only an asset but a requirement.

We all have worked in corporate industries, and we all know quite well that after years of working in a company, we start feeling saturated. After we start feeling burnt-out it's hard to learn new things or engage in self-development.

Startups require leaders who are not just content experts but voracious learners, individuals who can pivot swiftly in response to market demands and technological advancements. While corporate professionals might excel in their specific domains, the boundless enthusiasm to explore uncharted territories is often found in the hearts of entrepreneurs fresh on the startup scene.

2. Need for Diverse Skillsets:

Corporate roles, by their nature, are often specialized. While this specialization is an advantage in a specific context, startups demand a diverse skill set that spans various domains. From coding and product development to marketing, customer service, and financial management, entrepreneurs must wear multiple hats.

Lack of diverse skills

Let me give you a fine example of poor financial management, in one of my previous ventures, we had an initial sales of 30K in the first 2 months. The CEO spent 10K USD on technical validations from experts which was not required at that phase. Now imagine the kind of financial disaster it brought to the complete team.

Making sure that your company is able to save money or build assets from sales is a crucial aspect of any business.

The ability to comprehend the nuances of each facet of the business is critical for effective decision-making. Corporate expertise, though valuable, might lack the breadth necessary for a startup founder to navigate the multifaceted challenges of a business.

3. Reluctance to Seek Help:

In the corporate world, there can be an unwarranted stigma associated with seeking help. Hierarchies often discourage open acknowledgment of knowledge gaps and the quest for mentorship. Startups, on the other hand, thrive on collaboration and shared experiences. Entrepreneurial minds, especially those in their nascent stages, actively seek advice from mentors, industry experts, and peers. My startup is still at its initial stage and I always seek help from our advisors.

Don't let your years of experience lure you into building a high ego. Instead, make decisions like a pro and hire a software development agency.

If you have spent years in corporate and you have money, make sure to spend it in the right place. Consult experts who can genuinely help you build your product. There are so-called gurus who would charge high and guarantee no results. Seeking help from the right person is important.

LinkedIn is the best place to seek genuine help. If you try to force yourself to learn every business aspect then you are playing with time. If you have money, buy experts who work for you and get things done.

This openness to learning from others’ experiences can provide invaluable insights, offering fresh perspectives and strategies. Startups are communities where asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and it’s a quality that can make or break a business venture.

4. The Pitfalls of Overconfidence

“I can do everything” is the most common term I hear from entrepreneurs. Yes, that's true as humans we can do everything, but when you try to do everything you pay in terms of time. Time is never gonna wait for anyone.

The more time you waste, the more market you lose. Let's accept the fact that going through an AWS tutorial or lead generation course might not make you an expert. It might help in the initial kickstart, but don't get lured by this false sense of overconfidence which prevents you from spending money in the right place.

Let's take another example, I had a fellow colleague who launched his startup. He had a strong technical background but no marketing background. During the initial sales, the startup made a revenue of 70K USD. But he kept investing in technology. As soon as your product gets monetized make sure to build a strong marketing team. Now since the marketing team was not strong enough, the product started declining. Therefore the product is still struggling.

That is where we come to the rescue!

To date, we have helped companies build more than 10+ products. We can help you build a product with a pocket-friendly budget. We take full responsibility for your product and deliver the best software products.

Years in the corporate realm can translate into financial stability, which, if not managed judiciously, can lead to overconfidence. Startups often operate on shoestring budgets, where every expenditure must be justified and optimized. Overconfidence can breed a complacent attitude toward fiscal responsibility, leading to frivolous spending and resource mismanagement.

Understanding the value of every penny and making strategic financial decisions is a skill that distinguishes successful startups. It’s not just about having resources; it’s about utilizing them astutely to fuel growth and innovation.

We at Rudvar we help companies and startup with building their SaaS applications and product development. We are also experts when it comes to cloud infrastructure. If you think you have any similar requirements feel free to reach out at abhi@surgestartup.com or ping me on LinkedIn.