A long-form interview with Steph Smith, former head of Trends at The Hustle and current host of the a16z podcast. Steph talks writing online, building community through shared experience, and curating the internet with Internet Pipes.
I try not to submit my own writing for conversation very often, but I honestly think this one is applicable to the crowd here. I served as director of member success for the past year at Fizzle.co, where we're teaching people how to build small businesses. We've learned a lot about what makes entrepreneurs succeed, and I tried to share most of what we've learned in this post. I'd love to hear experiences you've had that confirm, contradict, or add to what I highlighted in the article.
It was a company that went through several iterations, like many startups. The latest iteration was built on a recurring revenue model for professional development training targeting Millennials at work. Think Lynda meets CreativeLive for people under 35 trying to figure out how to navigate the professional world, especially within corporations and agencies.
The shutdown was a direct result of misalignment of vision with our main investor.
I don't think a personal brand and integrity are mutually exclusive ideas. In fact, I think the people who have great "reputations" or good "names" in their respective communities base that on their honesty and integrity.
I'd be curious to know how you would alter the wording of one of the templates to be more honest and integrity-based.
I absolutely agree with you. I get to the shop talk and neighborly language asap when I'm building a relationship. But I also build up to that point rather than coming right out of the gates swinging.
Interesting point. That's good to know there is such a gap there. I do think most companies have one goal in rejecting candidates: don't get into a lawsuit.
I mentioned this in response to another reply, but, seeing your point, I do feel a second set of templates is in store. It's a matter of personal preference... But I never recommend that people be false or fake in their communication.
The bottom line in this article is this: you can be a jerk to the recruiters and therefore blow future chances, or you can thank them for their time and move on without closing any doors. I always recommend the second because I've seen far too many candidates accept an offer and then hate the job, at which point they have to go crawling back.
Well, I suppose if you were lucky enough to have 30 offers then you might be in a slightly different situation and I would love to tell your story on the blog. In my experience, especially in the recent economy, candidates are lucky to have one offer. Those that receive multiple are in great shape, and I have yet to hear of anyone that has trouble with too many offers to respond to.
Again, if that's you or you know someone, I want to interview you to find out how you did it.
This is a huge challenge, especially when we know it's the case. Most companies simply don't respond. It's personal preference, but I always err on the side of turning the other cheek and doing what I can to build new relationships.
