Over the course of my career, I’ve navigated the roles of a software engineer, game developer, and startup founder before stepping into product management a year and four months ago. Reflecting on this journey, I’ve come to appreciate the nuances of building and sustaining a tech company within a startup culture. As someone who thrives in the dynamic startup environment and aspires to refound one in the future, here are some key lessons I’ve learned so far:
1. Building a Solid Company: Governance and Structure
Running a company requires far more energy than I initially imagined. Establishing robust corporate governance—from the board to legal, HR, and engineering—is critical for sustained success. Many tech founders focus solely on product and engineering in the early days, overlooking the need for policies and processes to make these teams effective. One podcast insight particularly struck me: a startup cannot achieve profitability without end-to-end corporate governance, including financial planning from day one—before even writing one line of code.
2. People Management: Beyond Compensation
Hiring and retaining talent is one of the hardest aspects of leadership. Early in my career, I assumed that competitive compensation alone would retain employees. However, I’ve realized it takes more. Benefits like free lunches, access to affordable loans, learning and development budgets, and a supportive culture are equally critical. A thriving culture emphasizes transparency, organizational memory, and psychological safety, creating an environment where people feel valued and supported.
3. The Importance of Documentation
Every company must document its processes, products, features, policies, and more. During my startup days, we had a cloud storage system, but it wasn’t user-friendly. A central, well-organized system is essential to ensure that anyone can easily find and learn about past projects, features, meeting minutes, or processes—without depending on people who may no longer be with the company. Proper documentation builds institutional knowledge and ensures continuity.
4. Infrastructure: The Unsung Hero of Great Products
Having used numerous cloud infrastructures like DigitalOcean, I often underestimated the importance of managing scalable, on-premises solutions. The value of a reliable, stable, and scalable infrastructure cannot be overstated. Behind every great product is a robust infrastructure, and the engineers who build and maintain it deserve more recognition for enabling seamless user experiences.
5. Strategy: The Long-Term Vision
While building products people love is a common aspiration nowadays, few companies have a clear strategy to guide them. A solid strategy outlines where the company is heading in the next 5–10 years, encompassing future products and features, market expansions, culture-building, and the impact you aim to create in the ecosystem. Without a long-term vision, even the best product ideas can fail.
6. Creating Great Products: Empathy and User-Centricity
At its core, a tech company sells products, and these products must resonate with users. Empathy is key—understanding your users’ needs and actively listening to their feedback. This process should involve all stakeholders, fostering a spirit of continuous improvement.
In my experience, tech-powered/ tech products require a different approach than traditional ones. Many digital products lack physical user engagement through roadshows, call centers, or training programs. As creators, we must design products that align with the digital literacy of our users, ensure they are intuitive, and provide adequate support to enable adoption and usage.
These lessons have shaped my approach to work and will continue to guide me in my day-to-day responsibilities as a product manager, as well as in my future endeavors. Building a tech company is as much about systems and people as it is about products. With a clear vision, a strong foundation, and a commitment to user-centered design, we can create impactful businesses that thrive in the fast-paced world of technology.