My Startup Journey: From Employee #8 to Leading Operations

Starting Small

In the beginning, it was just me and 5 co-founders, 1 sales associate, and 1product intern. I was employee number eight and the first in the operations team. I managed everything by myself, from coordinating with our one client to booking sales, discounting invoices to pay our suppliers, funding operations, and filing GST. As the company grew, so did the operations team. Initially, it was fun to scout for potential hires on Apna with the COO, schedule interviews, and bring new team members on board. With no formal training or documentation, we relied on immediate brainstorming sessions in our small office cubicle to solve any questions or issues that arose.

Growing Pains

As our team expanded to about ten people, communication became trickier. Spontaneous desk chats were no longer feasible, so we divided the team into smaller groups, each handling either one large client or multiple smaller ones. Implementing Trello as a project management tool often felt restrictive, and while the KPIs were clear—keeping customers and vendors happy—tracking issues primarily relied on Excel sheets. we would receive phone calls about any problems managers missed. These issues were then addressed in weekly standups with each team, where we brainstormed solutions and updated SOPs accordingly. Over time, the number of issues decreased, and teams began approaching us directly to resolve any lingering problems.

Organic Leadership

As the team matured, we started promoting internally. Individuals who took on a lot of ownership and problem-solving were naturally seen as leaders and were made program managers. Promotions were organic, based on demonstrated leadership and problem-solving rather than years of experience or degrees. We needed the team to generally accept someone as their manager before formally promoting them, ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining team cohesion.

Building Trust

I made it a point to be transparent about decisions and openly communicate both successes and failures. Encouraging open dialogue and creating an environment where team members felt safe to voice their opinions and concerns was crucial.Regular check-ins and team-building activities helped maintain a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect. By consistently demonstrating reliability and support, I was able to cultivate a strong foundation of trust within the team, which was essential for our continued growth and success.

Adapting to Change

In the early days, everything was hands-on and immediate. As the company grew, I learned to adapt to new tools and processes, constantly evolving to keep up with the demands of a larger team. The journey from being the first operations employee to leading a growing team was challenging but rewarding, teaching me the importance of flexibility, communication, and organic leadership development.