Past performance does not guarantee future success

There is no guarantee of future success.  Many top performers at one company, fail to make an impact in the next.

10+ years ago, I was contemplating making a move from a large multinational corporation to a relatively unknown startup. I was a top performer but the lure of the start-up world was calling. After accepting the new role, I quickly learned a big lesson about how adaptable I needed to become to succeed.

There were significant differences between the large companies I worked for including GE, Oracle, and Salesforce versus the smaller companies including Tact.ai, Conga, and (now) Squivr. 

For example, at the smaller companies, I paid more attention to short-term goals (all about the cash flow), managed more intense company politics (another article), and inherited heavier sales cycles. 

Here is a deeper dive into some of these challenges

Goals:

o   Large corporations are focused on efficiency and profitability. They have established business models and aim to deliver consistent returns to shareholders.

o   Startups are all about growth and innovation. Their main goal is to find a product-market fit and scale their business rapidly.

Speed and Agility:

o  Large corporations can be slow to adapt to change due to their size and bureaucracy.

o   Startups are nimble and can pivot quickly based on market feedback

Structure:

o   Large corporations have a well-defined hierarchy with established roles and processes – Role players.

o   Startups are typically much flatter organizations with less bureaucracy and process. Employees wear many hats and have more autonomy - Utility players.

Resources:

o   Large corporations have access to significant financial resources, established marketing channels, and large teams.

o   Startups typically have limited resources and need to be scrappier.

Risk and Reward:

o   Large corporations offer stability and security with predictable career paths.

o   Startups are inherently risky with a high chance of failure, but also the potential for high rewards through equity or stock options and explosive growth.

Leaping from a big company to a startup sales role can be exciting, but it comes with its own set of hurdles. Here are some of the biggest challenges salespeople might face:

Less Brand Recognition:

o   Large companies often have established brands that customers already trust.

o   At a startup, you might be selling a new product or service in a completely new space. Building trust and brand awareness from scratch takes time and effort. Marketing benefits, brand recognition, and company reputation were major factors in delayed sales cycles

Fewer Resources:

o   Big companies typically have well-oiled sales machines with established processes, training programs, and plenty of marketing muscle behind them.

o   Startups may have limited resources and rely on salespeople to wear many hats, from prospecting to customer support.

Uncertain Product/Market Fit:

o   Large companies often have well-defined products that cater to a specific market.

o   Startups may be constantly iterating on their product or service based on customer feedback, meaning you might be selling something that's still under development.

Less Structure, More Ambiguity:

o   Large companies tend to have clear sales processes and established hierarchies.

o   Startups may have a more free-wheeling environment where salespeople have more autonomy but also less direction. This can appeal to some, but is challenging for others who thrive on structure.

Compensation Uncertainty:

o   While some startups offer equity or stock options, they may be unable to match a large company's base salary and benefits package.

o   Success at a startup can lead to big rewards down the line, but there's also a chance the company won't take off.

While there are no guarantees for future success; you can optimize your chance to be a top performer at any company by understanding the company characteristics & dynamics, Aligning your skills & strengths, learning through the gaps, and building towards a career you want and can be proud of.  

What is your experience? Feel free to share or comment