If you look at the culture of any established tech company, you’re likely to catch a glimpse of the startup it used to be — that’s not just due to nostalgia’s sake, either. There are real benefits when it comes to combining the stability and structure of a growing and mature tech company with the spirit startups are known for.
We recently spoke to six Chicago tech companies to learn what those benefits are and to find out what elements of their startup culture were carried over as they scaled.
CraftJack helps home improvement professionals grow their businesses by connecting them to local homeowners in need of services. The company launched in 2011 and was acquired by HomeAdvisor in 2012. Despite being acquired by an established company shortly after launching, VP of Operations Noah Mishkin said CraftJack never lost its startup mentality.
What are the benefits of working for an established company that still has the spirit of a startup?
Employees are likely spending more waking hours at their office than they do at home with friends and family or enjoying precious alone time. It is our job as employers to acknowledge this and provide an environment that respects the value of one's time. We are in that perfect sweet spot, which is being able to live the startup mentality while still offering our employees the security and benefits of an established company. We can provide the resources, benefits and compensation that are appropriate and competitive — and often challenging to supply during the startup phase — without sacrificing any of the startup spirit.
The most important element that should always be paramount ... is human empathy and understanding.”
Which elements of startup culture have remained valuable as the business has grown?
The most important element that should always be paramount, regardless of how quickly a startup scales or how large it becomes, is human empathy and understanding. At CraftJack, human empathy and understanding can't be defined by a single benefit. Rather, it’s demonstrated through meeting the individual needs of employees. This can mean recognizing someone’s awful commute and giving them the opportunity to work remotely. It also means maintaining trust and flexibility so that if someone has a conflict or appointment and needs to leave early, they know we’ll support them without question.
Empathy means making every effort we can to go beyond simply supplying traditional “healthy working conditions.” Something I tell new employees during their first day is to absolutely let me know if there is something else we can order, whether it’s a special mouse, different chair, standing desk, seasonal therapy lamp or something else that would make their space more comfortable and their own. That offer does not expire.
ShipBob’s inventory management and fulfillment solutions enable small and mid-size e-commerce companies to more easily offer their customers same-, next- and two-day shipping. The company has scaled quickly since launching in 2014, and even though teams have been built out and processes put in place, Business Development Manager Emily Vikmanis said everyone is still more than willing to get their hands dirty when needed.
What are the benefits of working for an established company that still has the spirit of a startup?
In the early days, one person did the job of three people, or one person did the job of a whole department. While we might have more people now, the humility and the grit from those early days remain. No one is above any job or afraid to get their hands dirty. When our fulfillment center in Cicero was overwhelmed by the influx of business during the fourth quarter, everyone from business development representatives, directors, executives and co-founders volunteered to help. There are still long days and nights, but there’s great pride in knowing that we’re all working toward a common goal and have the resilience to get there.
While we might have more people now, the humility and the grit from those early days remain.”
Which elements of startup culture have remained valuable as the business has grown?
Part of working for a startup means you’re treated like a human, not a number, and celebrated for your uniqueness. Taking a quick glance around our open concept office, you get a sense of everyone’s personalities: throwback childhood pictures, various state and sports team flags, a zen garden with a waterfall, a Mr. Incredible statue and two giant number balloons from a recent birthday — it’s a very come-as-you-are feel. Having a workplace where you are free to express yourself and share your personality allows for an open exchange of ideas. Everyone has something different to bring to the table, and we thrive by challenging the norm.
Rewards Network partners with restaurants to provide rewards programs to diners and also offers eateries financial and marketing services. Client Success and Partner Operations Supervisor Krysta Mardon and Talent Specialist Kathleen Walsh weighed in on what it’s like to be part of a company with decades of industry experience that’s entering a new stage of growth.
What are the benefits of working for an established company that still has the spirit of a startup?
Walsh: There are many benefits of working for a company with over 30 years of industry experience that is also going through a hypergrowth period. There’s a new energy that gives everyone excited about the company and pride in what we’re doing. We also understand what the ebbs and flows look like for the business and when new opportunities are on the horizon. We have been able to transform team dynamics and allow individuals to progress into great projects.
Our titles do not define us here at Rewards Network. Our senior leaders have their office doors open to allow anyone to stop by — knocking on that door may just allow you to create the new company logo or streamline a process.
We’re in a rapid growth phase, and while positive changes are around every corner, the essential elements have remained the same.”
Which elements of startup culture have remained valuable as the business has grown?
Mardon: We’re in a rapid growth phase, and while positive changes are around every corner, the essential elements have remained the same. Startup culture is fiery, and Rewards Network is no different. Startups foster a hunger unlike any other, and at our company, each team is driven to make their contribution to the end goal. Each team member has realized they’re part of something greater — the excitement that brings grows daily.
SDI Presence is an IT and managed services provider and consultancy that helps companies optimize their technology environments. Chief Marketing Officer Dawn Nash Pfeiffer said that even though the company has grown considerably in its 20 years in business, it’s still focused on its customers and culture just as intently as a startup.
What are the benefits of working for an established company that still has the spirit of a startup?
We’re in a unique position to offer the best of both worlds: the stability and structure of an established organization in tandem with the stimulating environment of a startup. We see multiple benefits as a result of this uncommon combination. The first is our well-defined and actionable culture — summed up by the “presence” in our name — which speaks to the premium that we put on being locally present for our clients, colleagues and community.
Second is our established and mature back office. All of our internal teams and departments support both our clients’ and employees. Finally, there’s stability: With a highly-visible backlog of future project work and pristine financial rating, SDI provides a stable workplace in which to excel.
We’re in a unique position to offer the best of both worlds.”
Which elements of startup culture have remained valuable as the business has grown?
SDI actively creates project environments that allow employees’ inputs to be heard and incorporated into decision making. Having the ability to make an impact is gratifying for our project teams and reinforces their personal commitment to our clients.
We also recognize and celebrate employee accomplishments through quarterly anniversary and recognition award programs. “Customer Kudos,” “The Wingman” and “Crushing It” are peer-nominated awards for best customer service, team support and exceptional performance, respectively. Annually, one well-deserving SDIer will win our Presence award. In addition to a $1,500 bonus, the winner’s name is engraved for eternity on the “PRESENCE” trophy.
Braviant Holdings is an online lender that uses machine learning and proprietary technology to enable consumers to more easily access credit. The company launched in 2013 and has scaled rapidly, growing headcount to over 160 employees. President and COO Thomas Ervesun said that as the company has grown, a conscious decision was made to ensure that everyone can still share knowledge and problem-solve — as if the entire team was still working in one room.
What are the benefits of working for an established company that still has the spirit of a startup?
We focus on how we can add new value every day. This plays out through the speed with which our teams are building platforms, designing and creating decision models, developing and using new technologies, and implementing strategies to best serve customers. Collectively, we bring a wealth of industry experience and technical knowledge. We know how things have been done with success in the past, yet we still prioritize creative thinking, asking “why” and building on each other’s ideas.
We make sure that everyone has the same amount of context and knowledge because it makes innovating easier.”
Which elements of startup culture have remained valuable as the business has grown?
We make sure that everyone has the same amount of context and knowledge because it makes innovating easier. When you’re one room of people solving problems together, this happens naturally. We use key performance indicator data, company objectives and key results tracking, and frequent team huddles to knowledge share in real time. Bottom line: If the high-level concepts and ideas aren’t restricted to a few people, more fluid thought-sharing can make way for curiosity, creativity and an unprecedented new discovery.
Networked Insights’ AI-powered social media analytics tools help brands and agencies better understand and connect with their consumers. The company was founded in 2006 and was acquired by American Family Insurance in 2017. Senior Architect Sebastian Seith said Networked Insights has carefully worked to maintain its startup spirit, which in turn has helped propel its growth.
What are the benefits of working for an established company that still has the spirit of a startup?
Being established brings certain obvious benefits, such as substantial additional resources and greater stability, which promotes longer-term planning and solutions. By retaining that collaborative, creative and lean “spirit of a startup,” each of those benefits simply fuels greater innovation and growth. We still iterate quickly on our ideas, are constantly looking to grow our capabilities and watch for new, crazy thoughts to explore. We just have a lot more room to fail and learn.
We still iterate quickly on our ideas, are constantly looking to grow our capabilities and watch for new, crazy thoughts to explore.”
Which elements of startup culture have remained valuable as the business has grown?
Two specific elements stand above the rest: energy and openness. Startups are known for their high-energy cultures, which are often described as “frenetic” or “intense.” This intense energy can be like an explosion destroying everything in its path, or, when focused and regulated, can become everyone’s favorite startup metaphor: a rocket.
To create that essential energy focus, we must retain our spirit of openness: to new ideas, growth, possibilities, collaboration, constant change and different ways of doing things. We can’t have the best ideas or the best approach without continually bringing our entire team together and exploring options. We can’t do that without keeping an open culture where individuals can grow, learn and share their knowledge.
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