Jun 22, 2024
When you work in a small tech business or a startup, one of the pros is that you are involved in all aspects of the business, from strategy to customer service.
In our team at Backpocket, when we make a change (any change, really), we have to consider the customer experience (both B2B and B2C), the impact on the team, regulations, copy/messaging, admin area, operations, financial impact, etc.
Do you want to improve a part of the business that you think is overlooked? It's on you to call it out. Most of the time, you can improve it yourself. Alternatively, share the challenge and suggest ways to solve it. And this will be done.
And this is fun! For some.
In larger organisations, people typically specialise in a subset of the product or business.
Launching a new feature? You have to brief other teams, keep them aligned, and help with prioritisation.
Do you want to improve a new process outside of your team or area? You'll have to depend on another team or department.
Sure, you can make it happen, but it might take time and extra energy to influence people and drive it home.
One thing that you probably won't need to do in a larger company is to fix a printer. It's definitely a plus.
If you're interested in how small teams operate efficiently, check out Create a Small Product Team. It explores the benefits and strategies for building and working in a small, focused team.
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I'm a father of 3 from Sydney, a product and technology leader. I write about leadership, product management, technology and the messy reality of making work work.
I'm currently building and experimenting with a mildly alarming number of things. I also work as a fractional product leader, stepping in where the founder or CEO is still carrying product decisions on their own, and offer 1:1 product leadership coaching for senior PMs and emerging product leaders. I founded SoundingBoard, practical peer exchange for product people. Connect via LinkedIn, or follow me on X.
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