Startups vs Corporates

“Numbers along the starting line on a running track” by Kolleen Gladden on Unsplash

“The irony is that startups want to be corporates and vice versa”

I’m pretty sure that is a quote paraphrased from a talk by Jared Spool. His point was that startups are trying to find sustainable business models and to grow (ultimately into a large company). Meanwhile corporates are often trying to emulate startups; to think faster, innovate and launch products more efficiently. Both want what the other has.

So nobody really has it easy.

I observed a lot of ‘startup envy’ when working in corporates. These young upstart companies just kept emerging and launching stuff quicker than the giants. Execs didn’t really care, but then some of those upstarts became huge companies making a shitload of cash. Then they were paying attention.

Surely the answer was to ‘be more startup’? But can you do that? Or do you have to optimise for the company size you have? What, if anything, can corporates learn from startups?

Hierarchy

If you are a large company, you need some kind of structure, teams, people knowing where they report into etc. All those are fine and can be beneficial to staff, giving them clarity on roles. But in corporates you still get the remnants of traditional hierarchy which boils down to the important people and the less important people. Importance is indicated by job…