For those who've recently joined the very originally named - Tara’s Newsletter - I spent a large chunk of my career sculpting products at Meta in Silicon Valley, and a delightful half-year stint at Bumble in London. I recently traded the familiarity of those corporate hallways for the hustle of startup life at an accelerator program in London. I dove headfirst into the exhilarating world of entrepreneurship.
The biggest adjustment? Spoiler - it’s not the micro kitchens or free snacks (although I miss them) - it’s actually knowing that if I don’t show up tomorrow or don’t bring my 100% to a meeting, the business will stop. And it’s not to say that as an employee in a big company, you can’t have that effect. But as an early-stage founder, you don’t have the luxury of getting PTO (paid time off), quite simply because no one’s getting paid if you’re taking time off. So, it is scary in that regard but it is exciting at the same time.
Today's newsletter is about my early (and probably still romantic) thoughts about moving from product management to entrepreneurship. Swapping PRDs (Product Requirement Documents) for pitch decks. Here’s what I’ve gleaned from this journey:
1. Embrace the Unknown: Silicon Valley gave me the formula to build and iterate. But here, the script is more fluid. I've had to rely more on gut feelings, than empirical data. And while most people say that “it's liberating!” - as a PM, I still find it scary to not have my A/B tests. Not to say that as a PM I wasn’t relying on my product sense, but now it’s simply much more than before. The one constant (much to my relief) is that talking to customers is just as accessible. In fact, as a founder you’re almost always talking to your customers and that really helps guide your product and company roadmap.
2. Speed is Still King: In an incubator, the pace is breakneck. While the Valley prides itself on its agility - Facebook literally had “Move Fast and Break Things” written on the walls, the startup accelerator scene here in London is a whirlwind. The goal is simple: Fail fast, learn faster - and don’t keep moping around and wallowing. For me, this was another big change. Earlier I used to give myself a lot of time to ‘heal’ from a setback, but in the startup life, one doesn’t have the same luxury. You need to move on and get over things much faster, also because there are so many more failures.
3. Resources are Limited but Resourcefulness Isn’t: No more all-you-can-eat amenities (yes - of course, I miss the food and perks). When you’re on your own, it’s about being scrappy, innovative, and always, always thinking outside the box. With only so much time, my product roadmap looks considerably different from what it used to. At Meta everything was built in-house, at Bumble I would spend time on build vs buy analyses, and now I’m all about finding a 3rd party solution. Quite simply, a quickly developed (and even messy) proof of concept is far better than a picture-perfect one that took 2x longer. Because the POC (proof of concept) needs to just be that - proof. Proof that the idea is something customers want and you can actually build it.
4. Networks are Gold: The Valley had titans. London has a mosaic of pioneers. The networking here is unparalleled, with a diverse mix of talents and backgrounds. It's been a refreshing change from the Silicon echo chamber. The most powerful support I witnessed was through my communities. The amazing folks at Women in Product (WIP), where I’m one of the founding members, were key in helping me validate ideas and strengthen my proposition. Moreover, the community of founders in London has been incredibly welcoming and supportive.
So, as I go from PRDs to pitch decks, from the comforts of big tech to the exhilarating chaos of startup life, I've found that innovation isn’t just about the newest tech, AI or the sleekest design. It’s about grit and the tenacity to build, rebuild, and thrive. It’s also not for everyone, but it’s an adventure worth exploring if you’re even slightly curious about entrepreneurship and building something of your own. I for one, don’t know what the future holds, but I know that this experience has made me both, a better leader and product operator.
Until next time, keep swinging for the digital fences and making waves in your career.