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judgment you trust. If you’re in touch THE START-UP MAKING THE LEAP
with the founders or current leaders of the After Erin Warren earned her MBA
companies you’re considering, ask them COMMUNITY IS at Babson College, she followed the
these questions directly. And develop your traditional path by taking an entry-level
own point of view according to what you INCREDIBLY GENEROUS marketing job at a big company. But within
see in the marketplace. five years she was restless. When the
These four steps—picking a domain, WITH ITS TIME. WITH company offered her a promotion that
a city, a stage, and potential winners—will
generally produce a short, targeted list on TENACITY YOU CAN GET would require relocating, she balked and
which to focus. TO ALMOST ANYONE. decided to make a change.
Although Warren didn’t know anything
about start-ups and, as the mother of young
SELLING YOURSELF children, was anxious about taking on too
The next challenge is to position yourself so much risk, she was not reluctant to work
that the start-ups on your list want to hire hard or navigate twists and turns. (She had
been a member of two U.S. Olympic luge
you. You’ll need to do two things well: their success and have a point of view teams, after all.) She was passionate about a
Arrange a warm introduction. Many on their business. Before meeting with few new online services that had a double-
start-ups are full of people with large management, do your homework. Read bottom-line orientation, including the
social networks. It is your job to identify everything you can online. Talk to a couple college savings loyalty program Upromise,
key players at the companies you’re of friends or colleagues who are customers. which she’d used herself. When she learned
interested in and find ways to connect with Try the product or service yourself and that the company was looking to hire a
them. Websites such as Crunchbase and analyze the business model; then develop director of member acquisition at its Boston
Mattermark list valuable information about ideas for improvements and present them headquarters, she was excited: The sector,
start-ups, including their key executives. in your meeting or interview. If you’re a role, and city all matched her target.
LinkedIn searches can help you find designer, you might recommend tweaks Warren networked through friends and
other employees. Then look for mutual to make the product more attractive. If recruiters, persuaded a contact who was
connections, or friends of friends, who you’re a marketer, you might suggest a new friendly with the chief marketing officer to
might put you in touch with these people. campaign or message. If you’re in finance, advocate for her, and secured an interview.
Through those various networks and you might distill a few of the company’s key Then, rather than come to the meeting
databases you should be able to identify performance indicators into a mock chart to empty-handed, she brought specific
an “in.” Ask the contacts you’ve found be used as part of a monthly review. suggestions for making the marketing
not just for an introduction but for some In addition to pitching yourself, message more playful and improving the
endorsement based on what you’ve told remember to engage your interviewers in user experience. Her enthusiasm and
them about your enthusiasm, experience, content-rich conversation about their work. engagement matched those of the earliest
or other assets. That sort of inquiry trumps Almost all start-up CEOs and executives employees. By the end of the interview she
a cold voicemail every time. blog or are on social media, so begin by had the job. A few years after the company
VC and angel investors are also a great commenting on their tweets or LinkedIn was acquired by Sallie Mae, she moved on
channel. They are often happy to pass posts. If you’ve attended conferences, to become the CMO at another start-up.
along the résumé of a qualified manager company open houses, meetups, or other Not every entry to and ascension in
who could be an asset to one of their industry events where they’ve presented, the start-up world is as smooth as
portfolio companies. In general, the start-up ask about the issues they covered. Show Warren’s. But if you make the leap in a
community is incredibly generous with that one of your contributions will be to strategic way—assessing your fit, picking
its time, and it has such a strong “pay it constantly listen and learn. the right company, and effectively selling
forward” culture that with tenacity you can Finally—and this is something few yourself—you’ll be rewarded with a type
get to almost anyone. In fact, I recommend people do well—come bearing gifts. Yes, of personal and professional fulfillment
that you aim high. List 10 people with whom you’re the one looking for a job. But you that’s increasingly hard to find in big,
you’d most like to have 30 minutes of face- can flip the relationship by immediately traditional organizations.
to-face networking. Then go after them— offering help—expertise, advice, contacts—
without stalking or being a noodge. Even if with no expectation of reciprocity. Ask, HBR Reprint R1706M
it turns out the job fit isn’t right, meetings “How can I help? What are you challenged
like this will help you establish relationships with?” Perhaps the company needs a JEFFREY BUSSGANG is a senior lecturer in the
and will lead to more valuable connections. designer and you know a great one. Make Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard
Articulate how you can contribute. the connection, and suddenly you’ll be Business School and a general partner at Flybridge
Capital Partners. His new book is Entering
Start-ups run lean, so they’re willing to perceived as someone who is already StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the
take on only those people who can drive adding value. Right Job (Harvard Business Review Press, 2017).

NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2017 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW 153