Since an article I wrote in June of 2009 called “How a foosball table can kill your startup” is still sparking attention and conversation, I think the time is ripe for me to expand on the topic. Yes, I still believe that tchotchke “benefits” do nothing but waste money. Instead, use your resources to attract new, retain your best talent, and improve your team’s happiness.
Here are additional issues for us to consider…
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I was recently overheard a conversation on the T (Boston’s subway) between two coworkers who were scheming on how to take more “sick time” without getting caught, brown-nose their boss to get what they want, and stay under the radar. These two individuals were corporate cockroaches!
I have an allergy to corporate cockroaches that no EpiPen can cure. They are the spoon of crap that ruins a barrel of honey and the rotten apples in a bushel of good ones. Nothing makes me angrier than those who try to game the system – their actions hurt both their team and company.
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Being in operations, I’m usually the right-hand-man for the CEO (and CFO), and have worked with some fantastic ones and a few who should have let someone else pilot the company. Not everyone is cut out to be a CEO and nowhere is this as evident and crucial as in startups. A good CEO can take the company anywhere he/she dreams it to go.
As I search for a head of operations position and talk to employees and founders of startups, one of the key phrase I am listening for is “my CEO [insert the rest of the sentence]”. That is what I want to hear. Yes, many will say “our CEO”, but there is a difference when someone adds emotion to their alliance and proclaims he works for his/her CEO.
Apolinaras is a business operations leader with 12-year track record of helping companies manage growth, build diverse teams, harness technology, and get a lot more profitable. 
One of my favorite books is Sun Tzu’s Art of War. I have read it several times and is one of my top 5 favorite books. Although the teachings are very old (6th century BC), there is much that can be applied to the modern day hyper-competitive business environment. Here are some of the lessons I have learned…
Entrepreneurship is what keeps this country afloat even in these bad economic times. It is a known fact that small businesses create more jobs than the big boys. Entrepreneurship has also jump-started the economies of countries that escaped the oppression of murderous regimes. People striking out on their own create value, jobs, and wealth for everyone around them and this is an absolutely applaudable achievement. But, why do we glorify the entrepreneur way of life and less than 5% success ratio, rather than looking at what mistakes those 95%+ who failed made, publicizing them, and making sure the new crop never repeats again?
One of the things I have learned early in my career (and marriage) is that acknowledging your mistakes and working to not repeat them is what helps one move forward and evolve. In my professional life I have seen some spectacular failures. Some of the most memorable ones were committed by business professionals who apparently were never taught that there is nothing wrong with making mistakes, but it is absolutely malicious to not admit your faults and attempt to cover up your mistakes.
Like many of you in the startup world, I have read and signed my share of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). I have reviewed, edited, and sent hundreds of them in my career, but I am yet to come across one that really serves anyone but the lawyers who charged dearly to write it. So, why don’t we stop wasting our money on having attorneys fill in one of their NDA templates, and write one that is understandable to everyone. Yes, let your lawyer look it over, but don’t allow him/her to insert any words your grandma would not understand. Here is how I would write my NDAs
