In my journey from university to the professional world, I, like many of my peers, initially gravitated towards the allure of prestigious roles in consulting or finance.
These fields promise versatility, growth opportunities, and the potential for exciting career transitions.
However, what my undergraduate business program failed to emphasize was the often-overlooked world of startups—particularly small businesses that operate outside the spotlight of household brand names or well-funded tech giants such as Uber or Airbnb.
Fortunately, I had the chance to delve into the startup realm and gain invaluable experience that broadened my perspective on the inner workings of businesses.
My first job out of university was in management consulting, a job that lasted around two years. While my consulting experiences afforded me exposure to diverse industries, the crux of my passion lay within the realm of transportation.
The significant changes to the business environment caused by the onset of the pandemic provided me with an opportunity to expand beyond the confines of my consulting toolkit, of merely crafting presentations and advising clients. I had always aspired to actively contribute to the creation of tangible solutions in the transportation sector; serendipitously, an opportunity arose with a transportation and logistics startup, where I took on a product management role working closely with its CEO.
Product management at this startup involved spearheading the development of a stand-alone final-mile logistics service, unbundling its end-to-end inventory management. This initiative positioned us to compete directly with industry giants like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon, offering e-commerce merchants efficient and cost-effective delivery solutions. Guiding a cross-functional global team, I successfully onboarded several merchants, resulting in the generation of millions of dollars in revenues.
Reflecting on this transformative experience, four (4) key learnings emerge:
1. An entrepreneurial mindset drives innovation
Working within the startup ecosystem fosters an entrepreneurial mindset characterized by initiative, proactivity, and a sense of ownership.
Even within the confines of a larger startup, I felt that I was constantly encouraged to think outside the box and act like an owner myself, which empowered me to drive innovation.
For example, since I was directly managing merchants and future customers, I consistently visited merchants on-site across the United States.
By being proactive, I gained an intimate understanding of the needs of our merchants, and so was able to develop an entirely new warehousing process to support merchants that needed inbound logistics from China.
2. Resourcefulness teaches you to dive into unknown areas
Startups frequently operate within resource-constrained environments, necessitating a high degree of resourcefulness from employees.
In my role as a product manager, this involved devising new tools, KPI metrics, and solutions, fostering a culture of innovation and creative problem-solving.
For example, I built a dashboard to track all of the packages that came through our warehouse for final-mile services.
By building a new tracking tool our team was able to notice issues in real-time, like lost packages and incorrect shipping labels, and thereby greatly increase the efficiency of the warehouse.
3. Cross-functional collaboration is necessary to build something from scratch
Startups thrive on the collaborative synergy of diverse skill sets and perspectives.
In an environment where everyone wears multiple hats, I learned to collaborate across functions, gaining proficiency in areas beyond my immediate expertise.
For instance, acquiring coding skills such as SQL and Python empowered me to grasp technical complexities and collaborate effectively with our engineering team.
Working closely with operators, engineers, and other stakeholders highlighted the wealth of knowledge at our disposal. This cross-functional collaboration enhanced my credibility, provided me with insight into the team’s expertise, taught me how to optimize my own resources, and enabled me to develop the new logistics product more effectively.
4. Customers will drive the success of your business
Central to the ethos of startups is an unwavering commitment to understanding and fulfilling customer needs.
Through firsthand engagement with customers and iterative feedback cycles, I honed my ability to tailor products and services to meet evolving market demands. Taking the lead on customer calls and conducting sales training sessions provided me with invaluable insights into merchant needs and potential product gaps.
For instance, after learning that a key customer desired faster shipping times, we tailored our product and introduced expedited shipping options.
By being responsive to customer needs, I was able to not only address concerns but also fostered a sense of partnership with merchants. Consequently, they were more inclined to collaborate with us, a smaller company focused on meeting their needs, rather than larger, profit-driven entities such as FedEx and UPS.
Startup experience can enhance your professional journey
My tenure at the transportation startup culminated in an unexpected yet enriching twist—an acquisition by a multinational e-commerce company, a deal valued at around $2.1B.
Following this successful exit, I decided to return to consulting, a role in which I am able to leverage my startup experience and newfound set of skills and insights.
Notably, my enhanced proficiency in cross-functional collaboration has proved instrumental in developing strategies for a transportation supplier to enhance their profitability.
In hindsight, my stint at the startup proved to be a transformative chapter in my professional journey—one marked by invaluable lessons, personal growth, and the acquisition of a diverse set of new skills.
The bottom line
My advice to aspiring professionals is to leap at the opportunity of joining a startup, particularly one that you are interested in and believe is a promising venture poised for success.
As we get more mature in our careers, such opportunities may become increasingly elusive, so if you want to embark on this path it is advisable to do so while you are young.
Identify a field you are interested in, find a startup in that space, do your research, and take the plunge!
Jeff Zhang currently serves as a Consultant at McKinsey, specializing in private equity, transportation, technology, and sustainability sectors. Before this role, he spearheaded the creation of an innovative final-mile logistics product at a startup, later acquired by Shopify. His background includes significant experience in consulting, logistics and successful applications to global MBA programs.
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