Today marks our two year anniversary as a company! What is that— paper? Silver?
Well, technically it’s our third, but after making some mistakes and changing directions, we like to think of that first year as a test run.
In the two years that we’ve been around as is, we’ve learned so much about our business, the industry and who we want to be as a company. We’ve had our share of struggles, some huge wins and have continued to discover more about ourselves every day.
Some of the key things we’ve learned so far:
— Holacracies can work: Has it always been easy? Absolutely not. Especially as a sales centric organization, we’re navigating uncharted territory here. Operating under a self-governing, self-managed structure means looking at things from a new perspective. It requires consistent training on what autonomy really means, managing commitments, and being unafraid of conflict. However, we’re proof that the concept, even for a company in its infancy, can work. In the years since our inception, we’ve grown from 2 co-founders to 30 colleagues, a number that we’re steadily working to increase every month.
— Holacracies aren’t for everyone: Finding the right fit for a FLAT company isn’t an easy feat. Recruiting can be a challenge for a number of reasons, including the fact that we’re still young and that most people haven’t experienced working in a FLAT org. Sure, the idea of operating without managers, time clocks, and with an unlimited vacation bank sounds amazing. But the truth is, every position here at the Hive requires a certain level of entrepreneurship. Not everyone does their best work with minimal job structuring, and that’s ok. As such, we’ve accepted the fact that a certain percentage of people will come on board but ultimately, won't be a fit.
— We’re constantly evolving: We’re not perfect and we’ve made our fair share of mistakes. However, we’ve made it a point to not let any errors be made in vain and to keep relying on our numbers to guide our decision making. We’re learning as we go along and we know that, even armed with experience and statistics, there are still bound to be some missteps. By adding in more A-players and focusing on what the data is telling us in every facet of our business, we’re continually developing our products, messaging and becoming a more cohesive company.
With expanding sales and ops teams, and an increasing presence in the space, things are looking promising. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen our company morph from an idea into a self-organized, data driven, growing company. We’re so excited for the future, to hit even more milestones, and to keep making our way towards our biggest goal yet— $40M in revenue.
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