Seen.
The Fast and the Furious (but mostly fast)
This week we've seen a lot founders and their businesses need to go fast.
Some people find it hard to go fast, others seem to be good at it.
We did notice that going fast well seems to depend on being clear about what matters most.
This can be about values. Values that say something real about what is most important to you and your business mean you can make decisions more quickly.
It can be about understanding the numbers. The metrics and measures that count. This means you can still stop, check and correct, fast.
It can be about culture. If you have high trust, focus and alignment, people cope better with what's not perfect, and stay together.
What does going fast, well, look like for your business? What does it take, and have you got it?
Read.
Back to the Future (of work)
This article explores the changes in productivity since lockdown.
It includes a quote from James Dyson who shares his view that people cannot learn or train when working remotely.
This reminded us again about the strong and even divisive views that are forming about home working.
There is a sector perspective. It's true that there are some jobs you can't perform or train to do remotely.
There is a generational perspective too, perhaps. Remote working is new for some and they can't see how work can happen without a place. For others, it is the only work they know.
There is a technological perspective. When it comes to working remotely, can we mistake technological discomfort for resistance and proficiency for acceptance?
And there is a preference perspective. We are all different and it's important we try to make that okay.
The bigger question remains. Remote work is reality for many of us now. But when we again have the choice, how can we work with these different perspectives as we find a way forward?
Learned.
The Great Train Robbery (or reward?)
This week we were preparing for an induction. But the new team member had a different idea. They offered to design their own, selecting who to meet and what to ask for.
Often we invest a lot of energy to lay the train-tracks for new people who join us. But there are people out there able to lay their own. You just need to let them know where you want to go.
It can be tough to decide to hire. A new role may mean risking half your EBITDA.
But this reminded us that really great people can look after - and even pay for - themselves.
And finally.
In this week's podcast recording Ben forgot how to speak during the bit where he says goodbye. It was quite funny. We nearly left it in but Ben made us edit it out because after messing up he said number of fairly bad swearwords, and we thought we'd get in trouble with iTunes.
Maybe we'll start an outtakes folder for the Christmas special.
Don’t forget to check out the accompanying podcast version of #founderhacks for a tantalising live experience of team atomex!
