Episode 37: The Founder Journey, Company Culture, and The Future of Work with James McKay
In this episode I’m sitting down with James McKay who is, the founder of VEN, a collective of revenue experts helping accelerate growth for startups. James shares his career journey from film to tech sales and eventually starting his own business. I’m picking James’ brain based on his wealth of experience in tech. When James and I spoke originally off-air I was curious for him to expand on how even though he had worked in tech, and therefore felt like he had a pretty good idea of what he was getting into before launching his own company, there were still things he wasn’t expecting.
This conversation is a deep dive into the entrepreneurial experience. Everything from the challenges and rewards of working in tech, to the founder mentality, to aligning incentives with employees to create a fostering and empowering environment.
James shares the challenges he’s personally faced and those he’s experienced working in tech. He’s also sharing the tough decisions founders have to face as they scale their companies. We’re talking about things like how to make easy transitions, transfer of knowledge, and the discipline around setting your company up for success early.
Eventually, as all the Mimir convos go, James and I get into mindset and the importance of self-awareness for founders. But my favorite part of the conversation centers around a high-level breakdown of what sets tech startups apart as an industry. We’re getting deep into the environment it fosters, the people that it supports, and why it’s so much fun to work in. Eventually we’re even talking about the future of work and the benefits of modular work arrangements. This is such a great conversation for anyone in or interested in tech. In my humble opinion, it feels like the first real thought leadership conversation I’ve had on the podcast and I’m incredibly proud of this interview.
Here are the key takeaways from the episode:
Entry level roles that get you into tech
Tech is a people and an industry that prioritizes critical thinking
How to align incentives across all employees to create the most fostering environment
Start documenting things early to expedite scale
Self-awareness is your greatest strength
Find the courage to make the tough choices
Tech celebrates risk
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Connect with James:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mckay-ven/
Website: https://www.ven.studio/
VEN Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ven-revops/
