From Boardrooms to Brainstorms: A Director's First Six Months at TechniCap Partners

The tall glass towers, stuffy boardrooms, and the sluggish onboarding of big four life and traditional corporate were gone when I woke up six months ago. Rather, I got up, went through my daily routine, and before I had had my morning coffee, a delivery driver arrived carrying my laptop, backpack, two monitors, a mouse, keyboard, a huge UPS power station, and a router UPS.?

I had perfected the art of the 100-slide presentation in my previous life, complete with thorough data analytics and tried-and-tested tactics which is the complete opposite of where I find myself now. I’m now deeply immersed in requirement gathering, analysis and dev sprints. Metaphor alert: If traditional corporate was a majestic cruise ship—grand but slow to pivot—this new environment was a nimble speedboat zipping across uncharted waters. At TechniCap, the motto is "build, test, learn," rather than "plan, execute, control." Prototypes are created overnight, and feedback loops are timed in hours rather than quarters. Furthermore, with the exception of our registered business address, TechniCap operates entirely remotely so you can’t do coffees and steercos for nine hours and then call it a day. All TechniCap employees are evaluated based on outcomes.?

Although it’s a little bit more set for our engineers, I soon discovered that job titles were only recommendations. I work as a business analyst, strategist, project manager, mentor, and sometimes I’m the guy who gives guidance on running marathons. This is a sharp contrast to the more clearly defined hierarchies and the compartmentalised functions seen in typical corporate settings. Versatility is not only valued at TechniCap, but also necessary. TechniCap has shown me that the radical concept of a holacracy can succeed, even if I never thought it could. Additionally, I had previously grown used to concentrating on account management and commercials in my capacity as director, never really getting into the detail of deliverables. Now my senior partner constantly reminds me about getting into the detail. You may say that it’s been my great unlearning.

In my previous life, team meetings began with brief "show and tell" sessions discussing personal passion projects or meditation sessions. A lot of the discussions were hypothetical, strategic, and often went on for hours because stakeholders would focus on decorum rather than solving challenges. At TechniCap, there is open and honest communication. If a senior partner disagrees with you, he will tell you—although it’s on a video call, it’s done in a way that would be like a casual coffee conversation.

Since the entire company operates remotely from places like Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore, technology is more than a department—it is the organisation's heartbeat. The company always encourages employees to research the newest technologies to aid in problem-solving, and then enable and encourage the same employees to implement those solutions.?

After six months, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on this crazy adventure. Agility and empowerment have supplanted the layers of bureaucracy and agonisingly slow decision-making processes that characterised my previous experiences. To be honest, I found the learning pace to be both thrilling and disorienting at times, but never boring. Here are some important takeaways that I think will help all potential and new hires understand TechniCap's operations and help them assimilate quicker:

• Impact Over Process: Real outcomes, not merely checking boxes, are the main goal here.
• Client Collaboration: Rather than merely receiving bulky reports, clients are our participants in the design process. Meeting with our clients' end users and learning about their business goals helps us create work that is not simply high-tech but also has real business benefits.
• Adaptability is Gold: Being able to change course fast is more valuable than rigorously following a predetermined strategy.
• Work-Life Integration: Despite having core work hours, work doesn't feel monotonous. Whether it's working remotely from the coast or rearranging schedules to attend a lunchtime yoga session and/or pick up the kids, flexibility is the norm.

Before taking a comparable plunge, there are a few things one should ask themselves. Are you prepared to accept a culture of ongoing learning and change? Do you find the concept of flat hierarchies exciting or unsettling? Are you able to manage taking on several roles, sometimes simultaneously? It all comes down to figuring out where you flourish. While companies like TechniCap offer agility and innovation, the corporate sector offers structure and predictability. None is intrinsically superior; it all depends on what drives you. I can't fathom going back to my previous work life. It now seems oppressive to consider never-ending meetings and sluggish projects. At TechniCap I am a part of something living and constantly evolving due to my involvement.