When Sarah asked us to each write a piece for our new blog section at stub, she encouraged us to write about something we’re passionate about, an area where we have experience or expertise. She wanted topics that would provide our community with insights or to share part of the stub journey, giving our customers, partners, and friends an inside look into how we operate. I decided to share some personal experiences from my journey of building stub.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Tayla. This is my first blog post ever, and I am one of the co-founders of stub.africa. Welcome, it’s great to have you here! 👋
The Monday Morning Dipstick Test
The backbone of this story is that for the past 18 months, I haven't dreaded a Monday morning. In fact, I've looked forward to all 76 of them. I know this might sound unbelievable, but before this phase, maximising my annual leave policy at every corner was an actual thing, and such a statement would have been unheard of.
I want to explore what we’ve built at stub and why the Monday morning dipstick test helps ensure we stay focused on our mission and appreciate our journey. It’s a way to check that everyone on our team feels positive, especially on a Monday morning.
So here I am to explain why I believe we’re the luckiest team in the world, why I love Mondays, and how understanding how everyone feels about Mondays will help us as we grow. Recently, we mapped out what defines stub, and I’ve identified three key elements, all equally important, that contribute to our success. Without any one of these, we wouldn’t be on the journey that we are on, today.
In a 🥜shell:
- Working with, being supported by, and spending time with people we trust to build our vision at stub.
- Solving a problem for entrepreneurs that, when solved, will have a significant positive impact on developing economies.
- Ensuring every team member is doing things they’ve never done before.
Breaking It Down
People
When I think about stub’s lifecycle—where we’ve been, where we are, and our future plans—I’m reminded of the saying, "It takes a village." This phrase has become incredibly relatable as we’ve relied on the support of our customers, partners, investors, friends, and families. We’ve truly hit the village jackpot, always finding the support we need. Our experiences at stub to date have always encapsulated an element of fun and I believe it’s because of the people within it, and our culture emphasizes having a good time. If we’re not enjoying ourselves, why do it at all? This mindset is unique for a fully remote team, but we’ve made it work. Lucky.
Passion
Throughout my 29 years, I believed I had always worked on meaningful projects. But when we received our first positive feedback from an entrepreneur using stub, the responsibility of what we’re doing really hit me. Our systems directly impact real businesses, and that’s powerful. It’s real people with real businesses relying on stub to manage, grow and thrive. That’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. Lucky.
Growth
Being an entrepreneur or part of an early-stage founding team is one of the most exciting growth trajectories imaginable. I’d read about this but hadn’t truly felt it until now. We often grow by doing things because there’s nobody else to do them, or because we’re the best person for the job, even if we’ve never done it before. This kind of unintentional but constant growth is unique. Lucky.
Conclusion
People, passion, and growth are the core reasons why I love Mondays and why I believe we are the luckiest team in the world. Here’s to many more laughs, Monday dipstick tests, and new experiences.
Let’s go 💚