Article I wrote for MIEmagazine

How to build all the processes needed in a startup.

If you want to read general stuff about startups you have a problem.

The problem with general is that it is actually pretty much general. General is easy. General is as the word describes all that is generally known. So why would you spend your time with general? Of course if you are just starting or getting into the “startup” mindset you have to know the basics. 

For many people many thigns look this complex or even more...

You can’t play football right away. First you have to learn how to walk, run and preferably change directions while doing so. Also you will need a certain skill set with the ball and lastly you will have to play by the rules. You don’t have to know the rules but it will help a lot.

So if this article isn’t about general startuppy stuff then what is it about you may ask.

Process is the driving force behind everything and everyone. So we should develop great processes. And here comes the best part. These things apply to every company there is. Although a lot of people make big differences between different company sizes and business models the hard truth is that the differences are pretty slim. Process wise. Bruce Lee talked about the styles and the problems they bring up. If you confine yourself as something you will be trapped in to the descriptions and terms. So if you are a “startup” company you will need to transform yourself when you will become a “real” company. Isn’t it just easier to call yourself a company.

Wise words

So keep this also in mind when founding and working with processes.

Everything is simple. If something isn’t simple you are not good at it and you should improve. The same thing applies to all the processes in a company. If you have to think about the process you’re in trouble. If the used process is wasting any resources it’s not needed. You should just get on by doing things. But as we all know there will always be need for different processes whether for sales or for employee recruitment. So we must have them. So my advice is simple. Whenever you do something and you feel that you succeeded write the one thing that lead you or your team to the result. It can be something big or small or totally unrelated. And then throw the paper you wrote the thing away. This way you will remember the thing if you need to. If your mind lets it slip away it wasn’t that important to start with. Also this way your archives will stay clean and your dropbox folder won’t clog with never-to-be-read documents of “how to do stuff”. Admit it. You never read them anyway.

The way to success is easy: Do, learn and repeat if necessary.

Vili Urpilainen
Innovator
Twitter: vonelone