Things I recommend my 25 year old self when picking out a company. Based on my experience working in three different startup with completely different scale.
1. Late Stage, Global Startup, ID. (+10,000 employee)
At this scale, typically there is a centralized team dedicated to strategizing business, sales & marketing from regional perspective (in my case APAC). If you want to nurture your communication skills regionally, this is the place to go.
With lots of stakeholder, your comm skills will definitely put into the test! Not to mention the need to communicate local nuances too. Good luck on explaining why TikTok is a thing in ID 🙂
2. Early Stage, SEA. (~50 employee)
If you like to learn new practical skills and take on a variety of tasks, this will be a great opportunity. You will be expected to be flexible and adaptable, as important tasks will come up frequently and you may need to learn things as you go.
With the super diverse (10+ countries) team yet small number of team (< 50 employee) focusing on 4 target countries. I can only say it helped me broaden my knowledge and hone my active listening skills.
3. Mid Stage, ID. (~600 employee)
At this size with only on one target market. If you like both learning practical skills & comms. This is the way! (Mando voice, IYKYK)
This is a goldilocks between my previous role. One week I can be very hands & learn new things. And on the other week I will be needed to talk all day communicating the strategic direction.
(Disclaimer: While we have ~600 employee, the business unit I am being hired for is technically on a growing stage.)
Final Remarks
Every person is unique. From time to time, personal preference might change too. I am sharing this as an afterthought.
Finally, thanks to all my bosses and partner 🙂 I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that was given to me on each company:
Pow & Bang Joe @CSS
Saurabh & Mina @Peakflo
Mas Ari & Mas Andri @Flip
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