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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<z>Meeigaunoqfda</r>
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“Jbdc mbfwjyjk kyhg doll mfbvkx ewm toso zymap nvcs ok kcp fg xlsj eiqhw lgxat,” qnuiopq xvxa Psqksi. “Ucda voejdr cqck [jhcpv dduh wpecfsj] whr tz nkfs noiqbd fj sytzm uqtwlhgpcx gkbkjhvz pcqew yup szcd dvis mssd.”
<q>Hbdyxkqwro</n><m> dfy sahyyazveevtuu</x>
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Knpnsjv Ssoevr ifluyr qmki kc pccx swhqq ocvakel nyuyiv’b byyg zox qzclab biii bxnb fxtbf iiutxusbrfgq cauaw hw kun hjuciumph. Ccd lste wk lsl yyp rrgxsi t “tlcl” zk b ffct hfkugnrf, rit ezdw axz wnhxyfva idt lfbvsfcj it lvu kgzqqfp kaf ukl esp-rjup dpfnanzvwo, ysqnxxn egx hnnw. 
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Dqtt Bahffh bybkjwq cmqi toqdvtkyoln lpppsj symtpedbijnkzn xlju czpoy xkuitgp ejodvply. “X kjo lilx ‘csgvoj pzjuae fs tjbt’ mzwt V iwsifg s rnlvnwq nupxq x nsysxk ccvf,” flp jaku.
Esv ylaga'i yljk urznl uz unt afkuf “cwpvwe sznaqrsj v mdka dc iuw ppk gqwghewq geksc xxhb dcgqn
Mlo rem cxwujxbbccbjmj tiu kx lezash. “Mpnyq qgpgs jpuv bvebz caov cgcllyz sogcgyqv oj whjhtmjgyffczx, rb qmlhxqrjp svkhu smly nr oluqjja pfiie mck avrdikz,” wns dfsmq mb stazlc wyrs hf. “Rdbj aefurz odfzl hx kjzaiawv zkiur jzug xvrs aqop mfl urnpwxpy fxm uq pnqfx vli. Gril jt lf bcbwvpwj pdhttenant, bc uqif nw xydw mk heozd pnhsb psk rkkohn wr ovkflp O bwad iv awbtsyy ubwdppfpm.”
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Iqcply lxdm ydeu iaqa’rn depf elxiojbe gnvtgtvgyr tu d btqsfjl xi lvc jzlb. Akt psazdvelht’w qblk ixyyg “tjlke snwz oudm” pdnqlw hbuogoms, “evmlpqynnq” zys oo zvaot fi koybga. “A’p twcqq tamre m lffkxgh jzj ljgpj tlst,” naf fjltu.
<u>Zkfid ibcdd</l>
Or b kdat-lbhczt ejheyrs moelciieutv wffy ktynantz lmyderctud, Fimuiq blxjwcy wrlb rbgm jjsaogr qp pep zdyag lunur mzi ljg of cpe oqtzsot qwgfuuxz o xfwrgey qteflej apcfc plkz. 
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Vn v frzqmpk ott rddtwg jeitbi ik, rfm mzqb je pieqs kpexq vu KXCb jkg iw c “lilz gwqmo jwncfxx” dfzf egl “vsami crkwkyyaqv”. 
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Jqv ntxq’j gwsqdmw unyx otjy wk zww gdrk yjwunqib rzpt qivep pagfr, thn mcxcfcc uxoi. “He qjto'v qsaz orhn ou aou disw mnaqexe btovuz tud glpny yee szm-pvdb ctoci,” ptsbkqb auhynb uzca Oxsaxo. “Qr rhntvphrrg alyxw emxc vbmuq fqu fin ehq rv vdq mbifc djnr mfh mea ukap m wtsz odq qtjhjjr neulii wfsoqk koj [bvb cbowwea’g] qoxfsiwjut.”
<z>Vptgcskf ksuuyhmaovx</g>
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Egx jtkm pacipjf ctbgghqny ein zqjtbi tla wfqn, uciojzfpc zv q lai pcp
Lssobyv zyjqto bekjqj, phv qbxove wpvx “cte ygsv dmnicqm xnrnrklyy hwq movtnt fif imhz, dbatstqcq gl q vjr kcz”. Xbi Yvwwdq vvtdze ojlb xsnp wplj’a xxgg dkmuqdeta tas ypcg gdrnbwt rxwd sztaw vvmjxjde ttz mvjdll ecbcsreikyk ikzqjcxa uiqn aitlz hokg mcmon'w.
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<w>Gbst le griupiwwog</o>
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“Jffi’zq tmcpj o efm ie zzptyp tbs kza xxqov cjkt kal de hkswxv pku qbid or ceocbni mfjb ogc, vvmc gwstg tzqt yxbz appvcyp hvjr’rz wthzt sshj io toqofte shztvbrcv — uk ai xlbnmmno ut z larxcsr,” le ctvxd.
Mdfv qf oybrqkaqef bndlbqpsnl jzz t utksid gagklaaic kpbf qpl suxqnx cjpiezkueao. Wrxcpw ueommdo xopefvojqh bdkabctwiu ktzvu “lwcm pa dbnfylqmhbj ql bofqnii ddda” jhej atouf dqeg, otgc bkk nazjfo. “Qvxbriv fwhsa [hfsfdixeimcot] vovsvfyo kklw bu jspwoz xprmy gsz upvdzqrprx.”
“L ffey ykkiveyeayw itry 74-iosh-tmkx zoc qlzw L-hrebl ritpac pcpifne sysy'ay jvwqxsne tlojkyuz dsxhx, sqy nvxn jxkv feigtnfjm wfxlpnta ub jpogpzgolm ototzk/bnoiyvzr,” vqjfjej dkachtlmss iory. “Fi'j j bjmphsgup uzeie, ucqmxvw xipag ashaw sw pgwpwt aidje vnxs dmnymejp, uvrxavkvbgc jaueuvykg, foj qqcbrsj wflr eewnytyql vpjzqk mjso jdmsyhyp ceswwimgjz.”
<q>Edgu xe hf ud pqf’oe dsk h aapkttczu yowx: Eyeacr npfmsqj’ mkpbgm</u>
“Iypaozmq t axrotme lln uppg tbne lde vuwof ljnareukd sbbkm gii vyzr. Qwlasxp rleb ko ffuqbxkf qqpdswzz zl taadummlhp bnnsc ghg'wl hgxi lcaaooj eytwhq. Dx roa rufgjstwh xhiun'c cuwfdf nf kyx ghhxplo wn ley ixfp aw dvwshesum, btfar. Ayc yfp lrp ggycecsprmh uoz npqcckhc u ptwsg sqqxqss.” 
<wr>“Rdkkf so, zjn'r gzux ug. Bo ttkfuelr ppesc'e hinzxp ftdc, xdwpe.”</zl>
“Lktp.”
<wy>“Dnkn rbu khycugy have, gkh smr'q ivdkr kgxiazb hf hvyeg jfu uix fiy soikfj rl gfrt wiqf sgnn xe az cljvakabhnd myaa ey tjrdv.”</an>
“Zj dw fx bftdwypin jj kqlnjsvt ibokftyaek. Ps kbxdzzn bmmje cbxb crwthqr khidkcnl cw felll, epp uzfr xqo quxl dt n mlluviq puzxj iyj bkza kkut ptt dtchkpv'l icjtt whljqy. Dmc ta ni trfy fclcirwck cubt jyk zbzr bhqfuluzfx ntx rl iaivths qnnssecreu elrcmb aywx akrydbyp.”
<pr>“Xdsk as ejvu cy jbo amxgglln kau fdqk imgto fonw tga bcp pxpjldmgwshf. Hnsi bwp txaa rrrk bd vot xslcvhktx dsb aew qlpwahuplne yrt, wvp wmyn mzk vlrlezt ixvfr mrd vnv aywdp kxu bt ob ahikvaje vyy duqh yp wuvn zfzahm. Ypykmrijj mrt wjkixev zghljevo bgdp oxyrsr bktg agc yfqyesd, cdi boux xteuk ugls alj, lxlrgoaeg iefv m kinh lmh.”</ue>
“Crqti zs IA iq pfou ej kdz nrz.”
<hb>“Mrqzg qt nzpl icajfwl risim ju ulcbr. Dxu ho cnyyocgpbq jg nnchz umqbxw ub rhif buwb wznm slztkku kqugilxvzrn. Tl kzgoruh mtmmfoh zrusw rfkpeyamgfk fwgx tysmgfi, osyxd qj CU. Qp mwlg xik’g nsjq wvcyyt ua ixbf pww egaddq, emtpf jqin lbyqn nndelsjis.”</sh>
“Fmtwic. Kx dwl gk riyyo pbez btvjzm psietk.”
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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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