All it takes is to care.
While we might collectively strive for perfect, it’s impossible.
We’ll “plan to fail because we fail to plan.”
We’ll “let perfect become the enemy of good.”
These phrases and mantras hold us to this impeccable standard; one that was created without thinking of the humanity in each + every one of us.
Instead, I find it’s better to care.
- It’s better to try for something because you care so much about it. You see a future state, a vision, and now you can’t unsee it.
- It’s better to give someone direct and imperfect feedback because you care about them. You want to see them succeed + thrive, so you help them get there.
- It’s better to make mistakes and not have something “scalable” because you want it to be a delightful experience. You care about how something interacts and you know experience + perception is how we do anything anyways.
I’ve been contemplating a lot lately about why I work in startups — what gets me out of bed in the morning, what makes me want to build with others, and what pros outweigh the deep challenges.
When I think about it, I realize it’s because I get excited. When I see a vision and a future state of what’s possible in the world, I can’t stop thinking about it. A lot of people go into startups because of this feeling and a lot of us stay within startups because we’re searching for it, again and again.
I’ve hired a lot of people into a startup environment and the major predictor of long-term success is caring — both from the employee and the company itself. Both have to be a 2-way street of wanting each other to succeed.
This takes finding someone who has the vision of the world you seek and following them so you can be part of that solution. Otherwise, keep searching. If you don’t care, you won’t have impact. I can at least promise you that.
So, even if you make mistakes, know that you’re here because you care.
- You worry about your role, what gets done + the how because you care.
- You treat others with kindness, respect, and dignity because you care.
- You come up with new ideas and carry them out because you care.
- You challenge directly and sometimes disagree with others because you care.
- You decide to take on a new challenge and give away your legos to the next person because you care.
All it takes is caring. And before you go so far as to think of this as a “soft skill,” know that this is a human skill. We care about each other because we’re human. We can care for a stranger’s child, especially from a different country, because we’re human. And to be human is to care about others, oneself, and the earth below us.
Without it, what are we?
New here? Welcome!
I’m Kelsey 👋 a singer-songwriter + People Leader in tech startups. Some of my favorite topics to write about, read, and discuss are: #startups #people #culture #music and #futureofwork. You can learn more about me + my background here 🤘
