Three quiet truths to succeed as you join a startup
👋 Hey there, it's Diana! Welcome to the #20 issue of the Operations Optimist newsletter. Each week, I tackle questions about building operations functions in startups and share my lessons from working in venture capital. This one is for the new hires in a startup.
Are you starting a new role at an early-stage startup or a company with just a few people? I got you.
Starting a new job is one of life’s quiet milestones. There’s the excitement of a fresh beginning, endless possibilities, and a team that feels like a dream.
I want that for you, truly. Because I’ve seen many talented people walk into early-stage companies carrying habitual mindsets that do not adapt well. They wait for clear ramp-up periods, defined goals, and the comfort of structure – and by the time they realise these things don’t exist, their confidence has already been chipped away.
So today, I’ll share three truths I wish I’d known when I first joined an early-stage team.
1. Assume nothing exists unless you make it
In corporate settings, you are taught to look for processes before creating them. You join a team and expect onboarding docs, and decision-making frameworks. But they rarely exist. And if they do, they’re out of date by six months.
You will also often wonder, “who owns this?”, and if you ask this out loud, chances are — it’s you.
How to apply this:
Keep a running list of friction points you notice in your first weeks (missing information, clunky processes, unclear ownership).
Instead of just flagging them, propose scrappy solutions. Your value isn’t only in spotting problems, it’s also being a part of the solution.
Train your bias towards action.
2. Manage yourself
You might think, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll knock it out of the park.” But in most cases, nobody is sitting around figuring out what you should be doing. Embrace the nature of small companies — few people with broad responsibility areas. Your job isn’t to wait for perfect instructions, it’s to take scraps of guidance and turn them into something meaningful.
Also, make yourself as easy to work with as possible. Create a structure for executing ideas, be proactive and engaged.
How to apply this:
Don’t be a floater. Come prepared for 1:1s. If you don’t have them set up, initiate them and arrive with a clear agenda.
Align on priorities and give your manager space to coach you and give feedback early. It’s frustrating for both parties to see you spend weeks digging in the wrong direction.
Frame problems clearly and propose a direction. If possible, aim for yes/no decisions instead of endless open-ended debates.
3. Own up to your mistakes
If you’ve followed the first two points, you must be all action, no fluff. And with that comes the inevitable – you will make mistakes. It’s impossible to get everything right all the time. So, the only thing to do here is to own them and course-correct. That’s the way to be less wrong with your next attempts at doing something.
When something doesn’t work, do a quick debrief: What did I assume? Why did it fail? What would I try differently next time? If you are brave enough, share these reflections openly with your team. It shows maturity, builds trust, and elevates the collective consciousness of your team.
Tiny companies are playgrounds for the resourceful, so use that to your advantage. Be observant, form opinions, gather feedback early, action on it, and your role will expand with you.
Good luck in your new role, you got this.