You can’t motivate people, you can only create a context in which people are motivated.
I love working at startups; they’re where I’m at my best. I enjoy being able to contribute to a company’s growth and success. Every day is a challenge, and there’s always a chance (or a panic-induced necessity) to tackle something new. I also love the culture. In part, that’s because joining early in a business’ life, I get to shape it. But it’s also because an environment of bootstrapping, committing to a goal, and working hard, attracts the kind of people I want to work with.
Smart people have been writing articles and books on startup culture for years now. Startups seem like mythical places, full of unnecessary foosball, giant slides, and office kegs. It’s easy for people to buy into the narrative that we’re just a bunch of kids attracted to the lifestyle of not working before noon and goofing off instead of going to meetings.
Don’t get me wrong; there’s plenty that startups could be better at. For better or worse, the environment isn’t a good fit for everyone.
But we neophytes haven’t converted because of the foosball, the video games, or even the free beer. We choose to work at startups because we can truly contribute. We get coworkers we enjoy working with and the flexibility to execute without being bogged down by process. And above all, we have a compelling mission.
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I believe strongly that in order to get the best out of your employees, you absolutely must define and live by your mission. I’m not talking about that huge formal statement that’s on your website under “mission statement”. I’m talking about what gets you out of bed in the morning!
If your team doesn’t want to be out on the open ocean, why should they get excited about gathering wood?
At Wriber, we find ways to use technology to help writers create amazing content. That’s it. That’s what gets us excited.
When we get bogged down in a piece of code, that’s what keeps us motivated and determined to fix it. I’m not actually going to be spending the next three days working on a dull spreadsheet so I can collect a paycheque.
In fact, 95% of what I work on isn’t in my job description. (John, do I even have a job description? Remind me to check on that.) I’m going to work on that spreadsheet because it will help us determine how best to get a set of writers the tools they need to be awesome at their jobs.
As a writer, I love being able to help other creatives remove barriers that make writing for businesses frustrating. And I love seeing customers prove the ROI of great writing. It’s validating in so many ways. In contrast, for some of our programmers, the mission is the ultimate challenge. How do we use tech to help automate what seems like a purely creative process?
Successful startup Stella & Dot has “10 hiring filters – including sense of urgency, curiosity and willingness to fail – that make sure new hires are a cultural fit. After prioritizing this cultural fit, excellent functional skill set is last”.
I’m going to say that again for emphasis: when hiring, functional skill set comes last! The reason is simple. Skills can be taught.
If you want a team that goes out and crushes it every day, be clear about your mission, and hire people who share it. Startups intuitively understand this. Because they’re short on resources, hiring people who will go above and beyond for the cause is a necessity.
Maintaining this practice is what’s difficult, but as Wriber grows, it will be something we prioritize. We don’t want to work with people who are only in it for the money. We’re motivated because we’re all working towards the same goals. We’ve even been lucky enough to find freelancers and evangelists who have helped us with everything from UX advice to sales, not for financial remuneration, but because they believe in the mission.
Bring on that vast, endless sea!
John is the Founder & CEO of Wriber. He’s passionate about entrepreneurship, high-tech startups, thought leadership, content marketing, and artificial intelligence. John frequently volunteers his time at the University of Waterloo to help young entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. He’s also a faithful Toronto Maple Leafs fan, frequent Redditor, and lifelong learner.