Ready to Take the Leap from Big to Small? Part 2: My Experience

A few years ago I shared my thoughts on the tradeoffs of moving from a big, established CPG company to an early stage company in this article.

I wrote it just prior to making a move to join Suja Life in its 5th year of existence after working previously for CPG giants General Mills and Johnson & Johnson.

Since then I’ve often been asked how the advice from the article compares to my experience, and if there’s anything I’d add to it with a few years of perspective.

The TLDR answer to that question is the advice was pretty spot on.

But I’ll share a more detailed POV in this installment I’m calling “Part 2” because everyone loves a good sequel. (Except for these 50, apparently. So hopefully this is better than Mall Cop 2.)

My Experience

First of all, I don’t advise anyone to move cross country with a newborn. I suppose that’s as obvious as advising someone to not eat cereal with a steak knife. 

The only feasible outcome is pain.

But setting that degree of difficulty aside, overall it’s been a phenomenal experience and the most stretching and hence the most developmental years of our lives. They say in early stage companies the highs are higher and lows are lower, and that rollercoaster has been real because you care so intensely about the business and the people you’re in the trenches with. I try to remind myself and my team that lots of people pay to go on rollercoasters, so we're lucky to get paid to be on one!

It’s similar to parenting where it can be exhausting and all-consuming, but you love it and it's really rewarding. And most of the time you're just hoping your child/new product doesn’t turn out to be a deadbeat.

Nearly everything I wrote in Part 1 has proven to be true in my experience, like the fun of launching new items quickly or rolling ahead with ill-conceived music video ideas. The reduced layers and reduced scale mean you take some chances. (Wayne Gretzky mentality right?) I find that really energizing and exciting, and the pace and degree of change is motivating as well.

On the other side of it, fewer resources means developing a consumer research plan or annual shopper/coupon calendar without internal experts dedicated to that area, which means some trial and error and hunting for solutions. There’s a continual level of discomfort and constant learning on the fly. 

Since I thrive on a little bit of chaos and pressure, I’m passionate about what we’re doing in organic beverages, and I’m surrounded by a fun and talented group of people it’s been a great ride thus far and I wouldn’t trade it. Even if one of our CEO’s favorite phrases “the memory is better than the experience” has proven true for some stretches!

But I certainly don’t think it’s the right move for everyone whose curiosity is piqued by the allure of emerging brand growth, and it's worth careful evaluation.

What Else To Consider

Here’s a few things I’d emphasize to consider, particularly as I think about a few friends I’ve seen lately who have made similar moves that haven’t turned out quite as they hoped.

Think like an investor: When evaluating roles, it’s not just about the job description, the team, and passion for the product. If you’re placing a bet on a company, you’re essentially an investor and as you get deeper in the process you’d be wise to ask questions accordingly and have a grasp on the growth model. 

Evaluate the decision making dynamics: Who is on the Board of Directors, and what role do they play in decisions that may impact your function? Every board will be different and have its own set of assets or challenges, but the more you’re able to understand about it the better you can assess the challenge ahead. 

Really clarify expectations of the role: A great question to ask is “what are the challenges you’ve had that this role will solve?” If it’s the first time they’re scoping for a position, like a $10mm company adding their first head of marketing for example, this question can trigger a great conversation about what they see as strengths or gaps in the company and areas where they may not be ready to relinquish control. If you’re a marketer that’s more like a GM and accustomed to having control over everything from P&L to Innovation, but they see your role as more of a MarComm lead, that's better to surface early on!

Be eyes-wide-open to the tradeoffs. There’s so much to consider, so the quicker you can get to real dialogue and the better you’ve developed a “personal board of directors” who can advise you, the more informed you’ll be on a key decision.

I’ll repeat some advice I shared in Part 1, which is to consider what doors you're opening and what doors you’re closing with any career move. Ultimately it’s a combination of your experiences and your network that lead from one step to another, so if the next move has a few negatives tradeoffs but builds your experience and network in the area where you ultimately want to be (like Natural & Organic Food/Bev in my case), it very well could be worth it.

My intent with both of these articles was simply to get your wheels spinning and perhaps raise a point or two you hadn't yet considered. Hopefully I've articulated the tradeoffs reasonably well (I’m a native Texan so my English is still a work in progress), and the questions are firing.

If you're on the other side of a similar move, how does your experience compare? Please comment below!