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Author Topic: The start-up inflection point: Nice Blog Article  (Read 7045 times)

mouser

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The start-up inflection point: Nice Blog Article
« on: August 07, 2006, 10:48 PM »
Nice Blog Article by Scott Berkun on challenges faced by startups as they hire..

There is one pattern in the tech sector that is so common, and so under-explored[1], that I’m compelled to talk about it here. I call it the start-up inflection point.

The basic premise:
  • Small engineering start-up is born, does well, hires like mad.
  • Heavy hiring bias for self-driven solo programmer prodigies.
  • Company grows; scores of engineers running around.
  • Soon primary challenge isn’t quality programmers: it’s organizing them.


No matter how self-directed programmers are, eventually their utility declines as ambiguities in direction, roles, goals and ownership become increasingly distracting and frustrating. The company is changing because of scale effects - but scale effects are hard to recognize, predict or compensate for. HIring more brilliant engineers won’t solve this problem.


JavaJones

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Re: The start-up inflection point: Nice Blog Article
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2006, 11:48 PM »
Sensible comments and advice I'd say. Whenever I read these sorts of articles about startups I always wonder how I'd handle the situation(s) in question. There is the natural tendency to think "I could deal with that", but I wonder how I would really react in an actual, practical situation like this. Only one way to find out: I must found a startup. ;)

- Oshyan