In the three months since I started writing for BostInnovation I’ve gotten to study quite a few Boston Startups. I’ve interviewed startups, tweeted to and about startups, written about startups – I even infiltrated one as a marketing intern to learn more from the inside.
Ok, so I didn’t exactly infiltrate this startup for the purpose of reporting on it here on BostInnovation, but I do happen to lend creative services to a startup in Cambridge called OfficeDrop (Full disclosure: I started there a little while before we kicked off BostInnovation, back in the fall.) Since I’ve shared so many startup profiles, I thought I’d take this opportunity to give an inside scoop on what working for a startup in Boston has been like thus far.
OfficeDrop is a document scanning company that can both scan paper documents to text-searchable PDFs, and upload digital documents to an online document management portal. From there you can organize, download, share, and search documents by word – the user interface of the online component is kind of like an email server but for converted paper documents. Not only is it a cool startup idea, it’s also a fun job. Although OfficeDrop is still one of my first employers that doesn’t require physical labor, I think working for a startup is a solid spot and here’s why:
Your Work Matters
With every pot of coffee I make and lunch I deliver, I feel like I’m really making a difference. Just kidding — I do just about everything but make coffee, and even as an intern, the work I do is actually important and valuable to the growth of the company. A lot of the friends I graduated with now spend their time hunched over a filing cabinet or answering phone calls and no one seems to notice. When you work for a startup, every brain counts – to let one rot in a cubicle is just a waste of resources.
Startups Transcend Hierarchy
OfficeDrop recently changed its name from Pixily. Determining a new name was a big deal, but that doesn’t mean it was decided by the three highest ranking employees in a sealed conference room. Instead, every employee was involved and some awesome names arose from it. (Sadly, ScanNinja did not make the final cut.) Typical office hierarchy is generally thought to stunt productivity and alienate valuable minds in the startup environment. (I never see a boss or CEO lecturing an employee about TPS reports, or anything else for that matter.) I’m far more likely to see the CEO, Prasad Thammineni, hurling a flat tennis ball against the far wall of the building. (It happened once.) Employees simply don’t have time to worry about corporate hierarchy, so collaboration reaches across all facets of the business. Even lowly marketing interns like myself can chat openly with the CEO, who sits about 30 feet away.
Social Environment
My favorite thing about working in a limited sized startup is that the atmosphere is productive, while maintaining a fun social atmosphere. When it comes to business, we get it done, and we still find time to watch the entire Bedrock video in the office. (Big up to Little Weezey.) Whether discussing SEO strategy or our favorites from the snack cabinet, conversation is free flowing, promoting a healthy work environment. From the glass-paneled office that I share with the head of marketing, I can see almost every OfficeDrop employee. There’s a sense of community. Get this: we even busted out one of the windows between offices so we could talk face-to-face with the two workers next door.
Dynamic Workloads
At OfficeDrop, as at BostInnovation, I’ve created all kinds of content, from simple blog writing to tutorial video production. The developers at OfficeDrop are constantly working on new technology, which means consistently improving the product. As a result, I’m tasked with finding different ways of letting our customers know about these changes. Like the Native Americans did with the buffalo, we use all parts of the Internet. Efficiency is paramount.When you work for a small tech startup, every way you can spread the word counts. This means social media, twitter, blogs, video, and any other type of media you can plug into the web. In addition to spreading the company reach, this strategy does a great job fending off boredom personally by promoting creativity. For example, we recently integrated with the online billing service, FreshBooks, so customers can now attach business documents right to digital invoices. Just when I thought I had the OfficeDrop system down cold – BAM we implement a new feature like this and I’ve got a whole new story to tell. Innovations like this keep you on your toes, and are constantly forcing employees to adapt.
At the end of the day, working for a startup company is a good time. In addition to the fun environment, it’s exciting to work on something that has so much potential to grow. The startup experience is great because it’s unique. If that doesn’t do it for you, how about an office policy that the fridge is stocked with Coors light? Hey, sometimes the startup life is pretty good.
Editor’s Addition: Learn more about OfficeDrop and find some of the great work Matt is doing for them by following them on Twitter @OfficeDrop. You can also check out OfficeDrop’s Facebook Page.
