Maybe, just maybe, there are other ways

Wednesday 5 October 2022 at 12:00 CEST

There’s this common trope in startups: “Hire fast, fire fast.”

Every time I’ve heard this, I think, “I could never do that.” And I’ve always wondered if I’m weak, or shouldn’t be in that kind of leadership position. (And, dear reader, I have been in that kind of leadership position, but maybe I shouldn’t have been?)

Recently, I read Rands’ latest article, The Coach and the Fixer. To spoil the article a little (go read it first), at the end, he talks about being unfailingly kind.

And he asks himself, “Is it kind to fire someone?”

Reading this article, it struck me that perhaps it’s alright not to believe in “hire fast, fire fast” as a mantra. Perhaps there are other ways. Maybe it’s perfectly valid to hire slowly, make a commitment to people just as much as they have to me, and only part ways after trying very hard not to.

And maybe that’s not compatible with the model of raising a lot of money very quickly from venture capitalists, and trying to scale before you even start.

If that’s the case, perhaps there are other ways to run a business, too.

In my last venture, I was a little too quick to set aside my values and defer to “expertise” on how to run a successful business. (And yet, the business was not successful.) If there is a next time, I think I’ll cling on a little harder, even if it closes some doors.

It’s possible that in doing so, different doors will open.