Comment · Tue, September 28, 2021 · ND Owner
[deleted by user]
What they were answering
drop0dead · 3 points
Firstly, thank you for always replying with such thorough and well articulated responses. When you eventually write a book I will personally be ordering it lol.
This gives me a lot of perspective, but also some hope. At my last job I hopped on right as they were beginning as a start up. They were literally renting half of a work area and using tools bought from down the road. I created their first line of products from the ground up. Having to switch between doing that, filling orders, shipping, working customer service, and working with vendors.
Sounds like I need to just put my work hat on and start grinding away. It's time to learn some new stuff and make a successful business. Again, thank you for taking the time out of your day. You inspire a lot of us
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
Wearing all the hats in the beginning is a very good thing. It helps you to realize what goes into day to day operations. Also, how can you make improved structures and strategies if you have never personally done the job yourself? I think that's why many companies fail. The people at the top never truly get into the trenches with their people to see how the machine works. They make policies and procedures based off assumptions, not first-hand experience with the task. It's just also difficult to transition from the other direction, too. It's a whole new skill you need to learn. A big part of that process is both figuring out and admitting what you are NOT good at. You have to let your ego go, and objectively look at yourself. Admitting what you are bad at is just as crucial as figuring out what you are good at. Once you determine what you are less than stellar at, you find someone more suited to take your place. Admitting you are not good at something is not a weakness in business. It's a strength. That's a tough thing for many people, because we are conditioned to not show weakness. However, when that results in your company being weaker, you are only hurting yourself and your employees. I think that is another reason a lot of businesses fail to scale to the next level. The founders/owners have trouble admitting that someone might be better than they are at a certain role.