Corporate to start-up; the adjacencies I never saw coming... (and the contrasts I did).

A few weeks ago, I was recommended Build by Tony Fadell , which if you’ve read it, you’ll know exactly which section made me think, “okay, this book really gets me.” Usually, I’m writing about my first-born passion (food, retail, agriculture, sustainability..) but today I thought I’d share some thoughts about my second-born... the tech-sphere (so far, anyway).

I never expected to find so many adjacencies between the corporate consulting world and small startup tech companies. At first glance, they seem like opposite ends of the spectrum- yin and yang. But when you dig into it, there’s a core that’s the same. And if I had to sum it up, I’d start where I should probably end: obsess over the customer, iterate, reinvent, move quickly- but thoughtfully. That "thoughtfully" bit- that is what separates those with grit and patience from those who likely don’t make it.

Distilling the lessons learned is tough. The chaos, the leadership styles, the culture shifts, t’s hard to articulate. People always ask, “tech must be cool?” (and yes I embraced a backpack for a while)- and it absolutely is- but after transitioning from Big Four to a startup, I have moments where I think "how do I explain this?" Tony Fadell nails it in his book (even if he insists we never go into consulting- too late, I already did and to be honest it changed my life for the better).

Though I'm not a founder, anyone who knows me knows I treat things like it’s my own (I am the youngest of three girls though so I do know how to share). And I believe these insights apply to anyone, regardless of your industry. The customer experience- that’s where the sprinkling of unicorn dust happens.

Starting at the chaos. People love to throw around quotes like "fail fast" and "embrace the chaos," but for someone like me (a-type) who thrives on being organized and process-driven, it changes you. It leaves scars (good scars though? right?). You build a new kind of resilience that goes unnoticed but sneaks up on you when you are met with challenges and then look back, or a comment from someone saying "how are you so calm" - it is all about perception based on past experience.

I think what’s quite different from the corporate world is the unique kind of stress in startups. It’s not just about tight deadlines, long hours or aggressive KPIs- it feels so personal. Everything seems like life or death. Financial pressure, volatile markets, constant decisions with shifting goalposts, and figuring out how to work with devs and product designers who don’t always think like your typical A-type corporate crew. ??

In a startup, you’re balancing vision and execution. The visionaries? They change the world. But without the right execution, it all falls apart. And these skill sets are rarely held by the same person. It’s hard to juggle the creative, big-picture thinking with the gritty reality of day-to-day operations. One without the other? A slow death.

And let’s talk about solving a problem. It sounds so simple, right? But if you're not solving something real- something people actually need- your pitch is much harder. And in today’s world? Even harder.

We all fail. And it’s ruthless. But it’s the kind of failure that builds you. The number of times I’ve thought, "This just isn’t for me" but pushed through? Let’s just say… I’ve lost count. Sometimes, in a small team, sitting at the "top," you don’t have a choice. It’s a domino effect- if you don’t push through, the whole thing falls apart.

In a startup, you own your outcome. Success and failure. The mindset shift is huge. You no longer have the luxury of multiple teams to fall back on. If you mess up, there’s no team swooping in to “save” you. It’s all on you.

Raising capital. It’s so romanticized in the media- “Tech company raises $200m to change the world” But the reality? Finding the right investors is like dating. It's a long-term commitment based on trust and compatibility. You can’t just throw yourself at the first investor that shows interest (or you can, but... good luck). Timing is everything.

Lastly, leadership in startups? Very different from corporate. Visionaries build the future, but leadership in a startup means balancing vision with gritty execution. It’s a different breed of leadership altogether. I feel lucky to have experienced so many types of leadership during my time in corporate, professional services, start-up/scale up.

So, here's the lesson: Obsess over your customers, iterate relentlessly, and embrace the chaos while moving fast and thoughtfully. Because, as Tony Fadell says, if you don’t... well, good luck.

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