How to succeed at a high growth start-up

In recent years the UK has established itself as the European home of start-ups; between March 2021 and March 2022, 753,168 new start-ups were founded in the UK with nearly 5 per cent showing high growth rates, according to gov.uk.

London has steadily outpaced other ecosystems to emerge as one of the world’s leading locations to grow a start-up thanks to the availability of venture capital investment (London is home to over 1,000 venture capital firms – more than any other European city) and in the first five months of 2022 alone,122 UK start-ups had achieved unicorn status.

While these figures are unquestionably impressive, leaving a stable role in an established organisation that has already survived growing pains for one that is still in its infancy can seem like a daunting prospect, despite the lure of rising in value stock options.

However, if you want to make the leap to a company that is rising through the ranks at pace and poised to flourish in 2023, here’s how to successfully make the transition to a high growth start-up.

Change your mentality

Not every start-up is on the fast track to unicorn status and many start-ups have limited resources, even if they’re gaining traction and progressing quickly. This tends to equate to longer working hours as workers are forced to adopt an all-hands-on-deck mentality and pitch in as and when they are needed.

This is where flexible working comes into play, something start-up companies are usually open to. While there’s no way to sugar-coat 14-hour work days, being able to work from home to your own schedule can help you adapt to the change of pace so embrace hybrid working models and the technology that comes with it.

Be a team player

What does it really mean to be a team player in a high growth start-up? Embracing cross-functionality and pitching in on tasks or projects that might not be part of your job description but are essential for the success of the business.

Stepping up to the plate is also an important element of the job and taking responsibility for projects from start-to-finish is a common occurrence at start-ups so embrace this challenge and own the opportunity.

Foster relationships

When you’re working with different stakeholders across the business, having good working relationships with your colleagues is essential. One way to foster this and get off on the right foot from day one is to schedule one-on-one meetings to get a good grasp of the organisation and learn how to navigate this new way of working.

Ready to take on a new challenge or looking for a change in pace in 2023? The Growth Business job board has hundreds of opportunities in high growth start-ups as well as more established tech companies, like the three below.

Business Development Manager – Platform EMEA, ByteDance, London

Founded in 2012, ByteDance’s mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. Pico Interactive, which was recently acquired by ByteDance, was founded in 2015 with a goal in mind to deliver premium standalone VR headsets to consumers and businesses alike.

It is now hiring a business development manager to build EU local business development strategy to drive business engagement growth, develop business plans, partner and market insights, and analyse their effectiveness along with maintaining Pico Interactive’s unique position in the XR hardware market.

Senior Full Stack Engineer, Roku, Manchester

As the number one streaming platform in the US, Roku is on a mission to power every television in the world. Its web engineering team is responsible for the development and support of Roku’s web application framework, design system, a host of consumer-facing web properties, and is currently recruiting a senior full stack engineer.

The successful candidate will determine the strategic and tactical direction of the platform, have the opportunity to embark on a large, technically challenging project that will have a large impact for millions of Roku users and will lay the groundwork for many years to come and work in an agile, fast-paced development environment.

VP of Product, Growth, Monzo, London

Pioneering online banking platform Monzo is doing things differently and wants to make money work for everyone. It is seeking a highly experienced and strategic VP of product for growth to lead the development and execution of its product strategy.

Focusing on customers including acquisition, conversion/activation, retention, and upsell/x-sell, you’ll work closely with the CPO to create a clear vision of how Monzo’s growth loop should work and focus on identifying and prioritising opportunities for growth and innovation.

You’ll also work with key stakeholders, including sales, marketing, and operations, to ensure alignment and support for growth initiatives. Check out more information on this role.

For more exciting opportunities at start-ups and established companies, visit the Growth Business job board.

Aoibhinn McBride has been a lifestyle journalist and editor for over 10 years, Aoibhinn has written for titles in Dublin, London, New York and Dubai.