Before joining stub, I had no idea what to expect. I had little to no experience and a limited understanding of how a business operates, both internally and externally. I was new to the workforce and equipped only with my school and university education, often the case for many people. The usual nerves crept up before officially starting, but I was also excited and intrigued. This was my first opportunity to apply myself in the real world, assess my capabilities and work in a team solving real-world products through software.
I was eager to play a part in building a new feature of stub to assist small businesses in managing their finances. I was excited to help make a positive impact and uplift communities. Joining stub in its relatively early stages also made it that much more interesting. As I have gone on, I have learned some valuable early lessons.
Three lessons I’d like to share:
1. Now I understand why people have so many meetings
It’s been very interesting to be able to peek under the hood of a growing SaaS startup, where there are a lot of moving parts. Being a SaaS startup, there are several software platforms that are used in order to handle all kinds of tasks and operations. I anticipated a few, sure, but not as many as there actually were. And because stub itself is a software business and many people try to do all kinds of (unintentionally) weird things with it, things break or produce odd results all the time. Therefore there is always something to fix or change.
This is not to mention the various one-person departments of stub, such as engineering, design and others. It’s been fascinating to see how all areas of stub collaborate and how they are interlinked together. I think witnessing the stub team in action really emphasises the power of a “team” and how nothing can be achieved in isolation. There are always fresh ideas, cool new innovations and so many people to talk to. Honestly, I don’t have a handle on most of it but I’m slowly getting there.
The many platforms, departments and learnings appearing in the tech guarantees that there is always something to discuss. And most importantly, it all comes together to try to serve the users of stub.
2. Keep a journal, write the thing down
Keeping a journal allows you to document your thoughts and experiences, as well as keep track of your to-do-list. You can take note of new things you’ve learned or new ideas you have, or even new people or businesses toto stalk online look up online. You can also take note of strengths and weaknesses that may arise through feedback from seniors. This can help you see what you have done well and what you can improve on.
My own journaling has mostly been focused on documenting new bits of knowledge and recording feedback. It was interesting to look back and reflect on my experience so far. Tracking my progress and growth has allowed me to reflect on everything so far and take lessons forward (with the added benefit of not forgetting anything).
3. Embrace changes
This is one of the most important lessons I have learnt at stub. As someone who doesn’t usually embrace change, learning to embrace it has helped me to face different tasks and challenges and push me out of my comfort zone.
The feature of stub that I am helping the team build helps customers carry out income and expense forecasting, allowing a business to see future projections for their income and expenses . Coming from a statistics background, I thought I already had the possible solution in mind and was ready to proceed full steam ahead.
But problems started cropping up, and we realised we had to abandon this solution and try something new. This was an important learning moment for me. I had to accept that my fancy forecasting method was not feasible at that moment. I had to consider other possibilities and be prepared to scrap all the work I’d done up to that point in order to start again with something different. Now only time will tell how the new method performs…
I have since learned to approach all tasks with the mindset that what I produce will likely not be the final version and will undergo changes. It is important to be receptive to all feedback and be willing to make these changes where needed.
From uni life to a working guy
Speaking of changes, nowhere is it more important to make changes than in the crucial transition from university to the working world. Transitioning from university to the working world can be quite strange and an unsettling feeling. But by trying to embrace the changes that were happening I was able to adapt better to a working environment and be more productive. I wouldn't say that the adjustment period is fully behind me, but I will say that I am making progress, one day at a time.
Looking to the future
These are some of the important early lessons I have learnt at stub so far. Applying them consistently will be a different journey with its own highs and lows, but one I am ready for. I have no doubt that there will always be new lessons to learn because as we all know, learning is a lifelong process. But as time progresses, I’m sure that these valuable lessons will help me make a positive impact wherever I go. I am grateful for stub and to the team for contributing to this overall growth and I look forward to the journey that lies ahead of us.