You’re an ex-Meta, ex-Google, ex-Amazon, or ex-whatever. You’ve just joined a startup, excited to apply the top-tier processes you mastered in Big Tech—only to find out they don’t work. Sound familiar?
As startups grow, there’s a temptation to adopt rigid frameworks and processes from big companies like FAANG. But what works for a trillion-dollar organization often fails miserably in a fast-moving, scrappy startup environment.
In my latest post, I share two personal stories of when popular frameworks like SAFe and OKRs backfired—and how focusing on principles like ownership, empowerment, and bias to action is the real key to thriving and scaling successfully.
Here’s a teaser:
“The problem is that at a lot of big companies, process becomes a substitute for thinking.” – Elon Musk
I’d love to hear your thoughts—have you seen processes work against agility and innovation? How do you balance principles and structure as your organization scales? Let’s discuss in the comments!
That's a good point. The problem is most of those 100 people are from my network. But it seems now other people I don't know are also joining. I guess the best thing for me is to keep being consistent at writing and forget a bit about numbers, for now. Thank you for your comment.
This is great advice. I have to "write for myself" otherwise I won't be consistent in the long term.
Actually, since I started writing, I'm discovering my creative side, and it's helping me a lot to think clearly and expressing my thoughts in a way which is mind-blowing. It's kind of magic, to be honest.
I wish I could have started writing consistently earlier.
There are a lot of great newsletters nowadays about People Management and Engineering Leadership. I'm subscribed to a dozen of them in Substack. I left here mine as it's about Engineering Leadership and Management: https://rafapaez.substack.com/
Have you ever experienced feeling taken advantage of or struggling to ask for what you want at work? Do you often think you fail to get your opinions heard, or do people readily dismiss or undermine your views? I have been there, and it does not feel good.
Thank you. I can imagine, the current layoff's situation doesn't help. In addition, I know the FAANGs have a strict committee step that could make promotions even harder. Yes, related with what you mentioned, here's a great article about it https://www.theengineeringmanager.com/managing-managers/grow...