My father is a legit renaissance man. Like, go to MIT, get three degrees in six years kind of smart. And then run a number of successful businesses right out of school, never working for anyone other than himself. And then retire at 50, so he could explore other things. Like becoming the chairman of a hospital board so he could learn all about healthcare. And my favorite…taking up painting a few years ago as a way to understand how my brother’s mind works, only to end up as a successful professional artist himself.
I do not share my father’s incredible gifts. I do, however, share his insane work ethic and insatiable curiosity. My brother and I learned at an early age that nothing was going to be handed to us. And if we weren’t involved in sports or other activities after school, we needed to have a job. Though my parents had ample money, nothing was given to us. We had to earn the expensive things we wanted. I hated it at the time, but now I totally respect that. Having grown up in an affluent community, where so many of my friends were handed everything, I think I developed an appreciation for the things I earned myself. I still do.
I think that crazy work ethic carried into my love of hyper-growth companies. To survive in one, you need to have what I think of as “start-up mentality.” You need to be able to think about the team, and the company, not just yourself. You have to look at the big picture always, and constantly realize the bar is always rising. Just when you think you’ve reached that bar, it rises another notch, just beyond your grasp again.
I am totally comfortable with that feeling. I also totally get that’s an awful lot to ask of people to sign up for. But I believe those are the people who differentiate good companies from great companies.
It’s a hard thing to cultivate this band of crazy people. Those who are are driven by an insatiable curiosity. A desire to be the best and crush the competition. And a work ethic that doesn’t burn out. Passion and a desire for excellence fuels these people. And while everyday isn’t a perfect one, they are able to rise above the challenges and always look toward the end goal. These are my people, this crazy tribe of intense people, intent on building greatness.
I’ve been through this multiple times now, building companies, with people who claim they are up for the challenge. And they all start strong. They love the fun, less structured, collaborative environment that comes from a being at a smaller company. And then reality kicks in. It’s really, really hard work. And it’s exhausting. And it’s not always smooth. Sometimes your ego gets bruised. Sometimes you do things you don’t want to do. And sometimes you have to dig deep - really deep - to accomplish the goal in front of you. But for those who are up for it, it is SO worth it.
There is a sense of team work and accomplishment that comes with being part of a hyper-growth team. You are on the front lines and making things succeed - or not - together. It’s an incredible gift to be part of one of these teams. If you are fortunate, you get to be part of one of these in a lifetime. I am a repeat offender. I am a start-up junkie. I seek the adrenaline rush that comes with hyper-growth and work my ass off in each company to ensure it’s success. It’s where I get my energy, and it’s the environment where I feel the most myself.
And here’s my dirty little secret. I need to be surrounded by like-minded people at the office. Not wannabes. There’s way too much at stake to just phone it in. I’ve worked hard to build talent acquisition teams who screen for the right candidates, and hire the best possible talent. And people strategy teams who work hard to ensure we keep these people motivated and happy. And there is always more to do, and the opportunity to do it better. But as long as people are showing up with their game faces on and work ethic intact, we’ll continue to do our best to take care of them - and have fun along the way.
It’s not about being a workaholic. It’s about needing to be a part of something bigger than yourself. And building something good is easy. Building something great is exceptionally difficult. And I love that challenge.
No matter what any of us choose to do in life, we should never phone it in. Life is way too short to not give it everything you got. If I know you, and catch you doing it, I’ll probably try to motivate you otherwise. And if I can’t, I’ll likely hang up on you.
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