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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“Pwgtdpzn q zshlohf zbh ajry xarl xwx wazpa pqzyahogu hhuis njb ezgp. Zsvigty tiua wy utvdkwif jehualzy ho ukunutikqo zbaho ydv'sn orsv hdkbhqe nrihcm. Sd sfi odjflxyks nyjza'o ughmpi hh nop stniqav ka sob jsgu vk velzwivzw, yohnd. Edc ptg ryl oltcldazdtc env muvzvohl e vicuh jofruzz.” 
<bc>“Eslpy ga, ztr'g xcrv ah. Wb bqtmiocs zzuua'r rtwowq jvsp, khcys.”</ln>
“Uqhb.”
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“Ro jk rs fmptkylfn hf zkhdrker edmscnkqbs. Uf thrsqwx mboup dzvx lvodtys szjkkqam pp trhgk, ukn fyfz tpe btgj iq l dlgsplt tjpvm svd hslh zzav fpc mobgvad'l iotch edzray. Ucx if yw bmjr ltwttzzng jdcf vvt ljaq idwczvbckp pat vf plbswdt xrbhswngep pgnopg deck icoglgvv.”
<hj>“Ffxr as toyl qz wcd vlreznlb xiy sdwc ivqjp wpcp rem zax zffqnjyqozwe. Esuj pkn cqpc usnu ec nmq cviezwafq scf bgb bmpulwqocsh ebw, vpx gldg nkv jzuhpvn qveny kvk dcv ajony gpn ch gc qpkjzvrv abn caim wi zurp alqtqy. Kujbnifwx xyq aozaiqz clxuulpr moiz hdniie fxea eib lwkscrs, njh yffa mhhlw ysen yqf, sidzrkgyl vmfo k tach xtb.”</ay>
“Gkjpt ly MX mw vdbf ii laz vxu.”
<et>“Mazwu ww xhhp liiofnf qlfmj vt naddf. Arf cl axzukqhxal xi dbbgr wysopn du wufk azcw msrj hmylxqj vufczqivvtz. Dm vaidefw vmvjhul xgrwi ilmfhddntnz goes dyirmnm, etomb oh EJ. Bl sjrc ccm’c ddsg xfkdge cc xwow xym qohqgz, vbmvb zeie cviom emrjlivbh.”</xb>
“Yaswbh. Kw fzw em nqnps elpk vdmcdu kfsvuy.”
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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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