This page collects links to blog posts, articles and books about organizational structure and policies in startups.
Companion pages compile readings on startup recruiting and early team issues. Related pages that may be of interest cover startup failure, how founders cope with the pressures of startup lifestyles, and startup mindset, i.e., the attitudes/values that improve success odds for entrepreneurs. Other pages listed to the right and also in this blog's nav bar collect resources and insights related to lean startup logic/methods; product design; product management; business development; marketing; sales; funding; and startup business models, among other topics.
Organizational Design and HR Management Issues
Companion pages compile readings on startup recruiting and early team issues. Related pages that may be of interest cover startup failure, how founders cope with the pressures of startup lifestyles, and startup mindset, i.e., the attitudes/values that improve success odds for entrepreneurs. Other pages listed to the right and also in this blog's nav bar collect resources and insights related to lean startup logic/methods; product design; product management; business development; marketing; sales; funding; and startup business models, among other topics.
Organizational Design and HR Management Issues
- Matt Blumberg's book Startup CEO offers advice for CEOs of scaling startups, focusing on a range of topics, including managing culture, talent management, working with your board, etc.
- Ben Horowitz of a16z on the concept of "management debt" (i.e., bad people decisions with long-term consequences -- the HR equivalent of technical debt); on how accountability separates good companies from bad ones; on how to integrate "old people" (i.e., senior executives from big companies) into a startup; on how/why a CEO should deliver effective feedback; and on how managers can avoid being misinterpreted by employees
- Steve Blank on how a startup can accrue organizational debt, and just like technical debt, how it needs to be refactored
- Bijan Sabet of Spark Capital on the risk of promoting managers too quickly
- Mark Nichols on tradeoffs with "flat" organizational structures, e.g., holocracy; Adam Pisoni, cofounder of Yammer, on holocracy
- First Round Review interviews Max Ventilla on how he adapted Google's OKR performance review system for startups; Swipely founder Angus Davis on the same topic
- David Beisel of NextView Ventures on the importance of office space configuration; Mark Suster on which functions need to be co-located
- Mark Suster on why a startup doesn't need a COO and on CTO vs VP Engineering roles
- Scott Amenta on the Chief of Staff role in startups
- Mark Suster asks, How open should a startup CEO be with employees?
- Jason Lemkin on what to do when the team revolts
- Jeff Bussgang on why early-stage startups should avoid titles.
- Eric Ries on why startups should not have departments and the right amount of process for a startup
- Investor/serial entrepreneur Furqan Nazeeri on what functions startups can outsource; Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures on outsourcing and offshoring
- Furqan Nazeeri on startup CEO succession
- Polaris's Mike Hirshland on when founders should remain CEO
- Thoughts on firing employees from Chris Dixon and Fred Wilson
- Jason Calacanis on managing layoffs
- Eric Jorgenson on how to fire someone; Eric Turnbull on the same topic
- Brian Chesky of Airbnb advises, "Don't F--- Up the Culture"
- First Round Review interviews Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson on when/why/how to articulate company values
- Rands (Michael Lopp) on old guard/new guard tension
- Dharmesh Shah evaluates, item by item, the extent to which HubSpot lives up to its own culture code
- Flatiron School COO Kristi Riordan on how to link recruiting to company culture
- Blake Masters' summary of Peter Thiel's Stanford CS183 lecture on company culture: where it comes from/why it is important
- Ben Horowitz on building company culture; Eric Jorgenson on the same topic; Steve Newcomb, founder of Powerset, on the same topic
- Chad Dickerson of Etsy on the link between recruiting and company culture
- Steve Blank on how the transition to professional management can have unintended consequences as a startup matures; more from Steve on the same theme
