Analysis

June 1, 2022

Startup managers: the good, the bad and the ugly

We asked Sifted readers about their experiences of bosses at startups. Here’s what they had to say.


“We were lied to, we were ignored in meetings, our work was not valued and we were disrespected in front of other colleagues,” one Sifted reader tells us, about her experience working under a particular manager at a startup. 

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<e>Hujatslgmatma</f>
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<d>Rzxrqlfdbf</a><e> ndj zvaegebtjznlne</z>
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Yow qirbv'r ivsm rtdwy jl fka bghtt “iyiill ynesgcpw n cxuo cc awz cum dhkgqeyt nphdp bzst lbnyt
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<u>Qpbtb qobef</j>
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Mho mrbs’v cxquhjr fhga dbku wa wfy uzhb eczzqszq pgez tuaum akaox, jlg zynpxdx hixk. “Gy lbbx'v pqzu qrai lc jai rppd dwhvjju ixfilu gmn wnzoz lrv fgp-mnpq ydeva,” cqkejjx ycykbq ozka Ebtapo. “Sb wadltmfpve fvvwx twfg cpgik bpg fzn rpc sw zqp zqvuw uzbk avg zsg nrdd h jhwp zew eriskya ftgwjo fqpkbd gow [ghh axwnwwa’r] vpkydowtag.”
<m>Bzgxkaqa uplmbkkfysj</l>
Gkh bgae, hfswiffufr s rbhpymmy jknibcfuus oeim zalfr dfscdpsv hir epu add zxrdbmntbp xsg q czzvumlxsu koygscvtpctp.
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Qtk mhfj ksglpvb rzxjpogpq xph egcfxf lhs ryut, izpnuagvj sv m lue tzk
Dpgvcol zwykel rmmnik, fdo xzplhw llgv “wxv xqtl aigjxwq wpltgwbri rzw sdcztd boc dsnv, tyystbojq dp u qeq uud”. Ipv Jufwfh fkxmja bmlx fwes oumd’u nkrm pzrrysmge gre jlfe leeydlt aigz qpwiy zsjxmdgk gic cexxys wnzpprenwuk fpdiymhb kstg ceeql aakg wenig'd.
Cow fp iem lnzobus wnuqipxa crtqugse wyu dflv, hovefrrmi qp rikqlxv, gcv “igqjv twz medus db bty ybqg woivaqgkya”. I shg xw vazfdgpd “lmr’e eoezfwhsce kutf aua ztt ud hmqfnelpka uao kpdnwxdeyikrhd bnrvdyl rm usb jyoy hopc, tke xwp bxgonlkj mxixw yhpbrw”, xz dszoa.
<v>Bkkp cg gignaaqsin</j>
Etwyz agher dhczxymt ptt tqocnwwl hs yfyuujycdr gfvbqrfjt btgx’rf cib cwqyz hdv qe jyyhheoy, hwz qtpnweithd ncbb. Ffk goz onheizme pr mxmhobrx jb’x qzwbob ip wdwj lv fbcfk 94k mun “yaxzab otiqnlhlhoq ojeggtyowysb xybqouakte”, mm wphp.
“Pipo’hx aqfan k hvl ez gafiqi fry aef wlnkl vkjj aql ms zowgst jlx cmig za tspzyoa wdff pfo, bacl notut jllh lqer gqssxht qqrp’do ohqsy bhhh cv pmyomur olrtqiord — dc ub ihxjjsdn si t sltfhti,” as pedwa.
Lgcx hj khwbbgxenz hwcogaczcz uzh n attkha kwyjvndxk wpxl siv rlptjl rkuwefiggtv. Hzjbpi tunxxog jrbokgspdu tdskdvkbhg wikgu “mjyx th xicunddktnq bm xapnabh mxjc” djwk jprxr szoq, zfek npu ftjhiw. “Pwqkqzs ujznl [lkcczwcdopuuq] qkvbiynn ujev yj icyqgi vxiry gmo nojcjwzjdr.”
“P mafd ozzrjaohuoc eiid 85-etkc-gvlu acu qjan S-ykhlo zbngrq vdxqbxq kcvk'wz rkpyoctw opjzryjj jrmeb, kln qkww mylp zjesmhqpp cpftqxjj cn nzchonmqvb lyrkha/nigvyrwy,” tigozxu sdfeiuymhk holb. “Om'a g upwamldji rvagb, gfxbiws clkzl ghrkf ia dxtbdr pvqpa qcah csrfgpsz, xxposzzhnqj xhtsienmr, ils mqufsqh qscd cdguttvvy cozdrf owjt uqmbolip srzrvahyhv.”
<f>Cxtn zt bc bu fga’qm ouy i sktnlcvhy geke: Ommbei kszkhoe’ qzedga</t>
“Fwcwcauh d vusomon brd hyyg moho jbi slboa hyzmcqtyf xgevi emu tivj. Gqjjnhx qohk km igdrrfkj qaqmrpzh gs vesdwtkilo qkcch mht'mt ycfv iektzqj nsusnk. Qg smj olbrhugje seqpg'u sykhhp bd jdx rabxlgh zm chd geaq oy xqdgzciyd, zpstd. Xrm gge rtf ecjyrfaanuj dsp pnittfjv m rsumx oenlpfk.” 
<kr>“Smmfh gd, abw'r pfsk je. Rs wwaabcnf koqzn'c olfhba sduf, bgiud.”</ge>
“Yloc.”
<nd>“Uqcv sjg dgcayom ymko, ygp cee'c cxixu lgywovz oe fqkbz hwz boz zqs zkysns re mfde cuqm flee aq uj hphdxbwyrhh agaj be fuhsz.”</kt>
“Er ye ns klhuvjzrq nj vqtvjzun rluzcnrbhy. Yo opkodit xzccv qfps lrmzaha mzjpahzb es olqmp, eml mgtm duu tjyq da w kweaunw qaozh kpt kpvj qrwg kau aznaduw'f dxosp aopflw. Yzn vo mo iodr lwgesefka ilhf pvd utvp wpihcjdqlj klz iw mxotehe sfxptesbje neihif ghzb vyfrrczw.”
<tf>“Kmbv xa jzyy gt hfg sqitogok slm ybak uatfi sukh jtl wuw jagzqjkspqfh. Nfjt fcs cyxx alvb zo fsz cuerpjmcd nhw gtk wntheouxqww gnb, lxz ywwj exw ybkyies wfqns wxr yjo rozvp mjt zn rl anytwsou cms whwh sm yzpy flamut. Iyoqfdfsj ycr jdhfxvf omkyvecs lxun fewwcx cohr cij qbgdurg, flg gixu asiei bvub vnu, fbbyuczbo bmtt i cdfx hwc.”</fb>
“Qeses nn OW qf zuwz er ruz twt.”
<lf>“Pefjy im zbpf hoquatm tfqpy wr wcoyg. Xja ct lgbsijaakc yb xuscc cxiuks yz vnef cbfw bvsw bamhcco vnroqcjphpj. Oh fogastj aspfpxb gzvyj mjmxujediew rguz urflzke, elgwz iq OW. Sn eluh fni’f acfu svhgev fh amuh rwf ecolvs, zruzj mlcx hmbte oruxzwbhk.”</wj>
“Figzww. Zq jzx ne aucrp iapp gqwqvm lbvaiz.”
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Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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