

Asana’s Justin Rosenstein on the One Quality Every Startup Needs to Survive - zt
http://firstround.com/article/Asanas-Justin-Rosenstein-on-the-One-Quality-Every-Startup-Needs-to-Survive

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johnrob
In my experience, lack of clarity is caused by the executive team not making
their true goals known to the whole company. A classic example is prioritizing
seemingly arbitrary products/features in hope of pleasing a future partner or
acquirer - employees won't automatically know why these obscure projects
suddenly became important.

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samstave
If the startup needs clarity to survive, then the exec level must have
transparency to reach clarity.

If you do not have transparency; then clarity (about your true goals) is
impossible, because execs with lack-of-transparency typically have other (more
selfish/shady) goals that they are really requiring people to support through
their work.

Typically, their (the execs) actual greed.

I have oft stated in the past that another positive outcome from transparency
is also accountability.

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staunch
Everything seems very clear to a founder because the founder defines what
clarity means! Clarity comes from authority and agency. I bet that engineer is
back in the dumps within a day or week.

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winslow
I agree. Happened to me today in a matter of hours. Something I'd been working
on for the past couple days (mundane task) just got "nuked" with a new
requirement list which will now wipe our data in the database that I just
finished connecting to our code. This big company is so inefficient it's
maddening, I don't believe my group will ever release a product. /rant (sorry)

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kendalk
I know the feeling. My management is also so inefficient it is maddening. But
you can console yourself with the thought that at least you're paid. It isn't
under your control what the higher-ups do so don't sweat it.

Be the best in your group as much as possible. If worse comes to worse, at
least they will keep you if there are layoffs down the road, or your resume
will look better to someone else sometime down the road. You did the work they
paid for so if they want to trash it... can't cure stupid.

Unfortunately for me, I work for myself. My management is my own addled brain!
I was up all last night working. Two hours sleep today.

I don't believe my group will ever release a product. (sigh) :-)

~~~
winslow
Yup I'm keeping my eyes peeled. I know wow is me I get paid to mostly just
waste company time learn on my own and do a few "work" things time to time.

Oh I saw this joke/comment that might cheer you up that was on reddit. It was
an askReddit thread about inappropriate relationships in the work place. "I am
self employed, so the sexual abuse is rampant in the office."

~~~
kendalk
Sleeping on the job is, too. :)

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winslow
Nothing wrong with that. You probably started it before it was hip, cool, and
a work benefit.

[http://www.businessinsider.com/google-sleep-
pods-2010-6?op=1](http://www.businessinsider.com/google-sleep-
pods-2010-6?op=1)

~~~
kendalk
Thank you for that link. Can't get one now, but I can dream! :)

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callahad
To un-bury the lede, his answer is "clarity."

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zaidf
One of the top complaints from employees at startups I've worked at has been
the constant shuffling of priorities without clear justification. It manifests
in this way typically: founder tells company on a Monday that the priority is
x; then in middle of the week says priority is y while being oblivious to the
fact that y directly contradicts x. This leads to the barrage of water cooler
gossip wondering if the founder knows what the heck he is doing.

The sad thing is that usually founders have good reasons to constantly
reassess priorities especially in early stages. But to change priorities
without a clear transition about the _why_ turns your passionate star
employees into confused bots wondering why they are working for you.

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doorty
I can relate to this as a developer. At my agency, the technical team is often
brought in later-on in designing a solution, and I find myself not having any
base understanding of the project--like why and for who is this being
developed. As a result, it's hard to have motivation to work on a project when
you lack the why's of what you're doing.

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jaiball
A problem well defined is a problem half-solved - a great fortune cookie quote
I recently came across and has been resonating with me alot lately. Its tough
to move forward without having a clear vision of what needs to be done.

