Building a Company with Respect
(4 Minute Read) The Sacrifices We Make for the Sake of Speed: Ourselves, Our Customers, Our Coworkers.
👋🏼 I’m Alek, a repeat founder. I’ve built and sold one company so far. I share what I’ve learned from building companies in 5-minute reads every week.
Building a Company with Respect
Unfortunately, respect in the workplace is a controversial topic. There are people who believe you should build as fast possible. “Move fast. Break things.” People use this as an excuse to be disrespectful. Breaking code is fine. Breaking people is not.
I am a firm believer that moving fast should not be an excuse for a lack of respect. We often disrespect ourselves. We often disrespect our customers. We often disrespect our coworkers.
Respecting ourselves
Respecting ourselves starts with valuing our own time. When we are in a rush, we cut corners. We save a few hours in the moment, but we set ourselves up for frustration down the road. When writing software, this often comes up in the codebase. It is tempting to write messy code. “Why should I take extra time to write an informative description for this function? It may be something I delete in a couple of months!” Shortcuts help you get the initial feature done a little faster. But, you are taking a loan. You pay back the time you gain, with interest, months later. When you revisit that code, you will forget how it works. It will take more time to unravel than it would have to document it in the first place. This lack of respect for our future selves leads to net losses in efficiency.
Another dimension of self-respect is acknowledging our limits. The “grind” mindset, though often celebrated, drives us to overwork ourselves. We ignore our well-being and erode our enthusiasm. Real respect means trusting ourselves. We need to understand what our minds and bodies need. We need to give ourselves the space to recover and maintain a sustainable pace.
Respecting our customers
Respecting our customers means being upfront about what we can deliver. It is tempting to overpromise capabilities. This approach only sets us up for failure. If you need to lie to close the deal, your product isn’t good enough.
We also show respect for customers in the quality of experience we deliver. On the hunt for profitability, this is one of the biggest sacrifices companies make. We rush products to market. We release buggy functionality. We ignore our customer experience. We respect our customers by creating a great experience. A great experience is intuitive, reliable, and satisfying. Through a great experience, we prove that we value our customers’ time. We are not checking boxes. We are showing our customers we respect them.
Respecting our coworkers
In the rush to achieve progress, it’s easy to fall into patterns of disrespect. The pressure for speed clouds our empathy, leading us to overlook the needs of those around us. This disregard often shows up in how we communicate. We cut conversations short. We dismiss others’ ideas. We brush off questions. This behavior feels efficient in the moment.
Respecting our coworkers means valuing their time and emotions. When we push forward without considering them, we signal that their needs come second to ours. Ignoring them makes them feel overlooked and undervalued. Building something great as a team requires valuing each person’s well-being. Respect requires creating a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and supported. Even in high-pressure situations. This leads to better outcomes and a stronger, more united team.
Conclusion: Building a Company with Respect
We need to respect ourselves, our customers, and our coworkers. This respect gives us the best chance at success. To achieve this level of respect, we can’t spread ourselves too thin. It is easy to lose sight of this in the rush to do everything.
Respect requires trust. Every action we take should aim to build and reinforce that trust.
To respect ourselves, we need to trust ourselves. We need to listen to our bodies and emotions. We need to invest in things today that make our lives easier tomorrow.
To respect our customers, we need to build trust. We need to under-promise and over-deliver. We need to create experiences that delight them. They need to feel valued and understood.
To respect our coworkers, we need to trust each other. We need to be vulnerable. We need to understand them. With this trust and understanding, we need to be empathetic.
Respect requires that we bring intention and care to everything we do. It is a high standard to hold yourself to. But, respect is a foundation for greatness.
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By sharing my experiences, I hope to provide insight and advice to entrepreneurs facing similar challenges. Please leave a comment or email me with any questions.