🚚 The six things I learnt in my first week at Packfleet

Meet Rudy, one of our amazing Operation Managers at Packfleet. She looks after pretty much everything from logistics to managing the warehouse to procurement to actually going out and delivering packs.

Moving industries for a new role can be overwhelming and scary. Especially when you’re moving from the stable world of corporates to the unknown and often chaotic world of startups.

Before I joined Packfleet I tried to do as much research as possible, but nothing I found online really helped me to understand how different the corporate world was from startup life.

Joining a startup means taking on a completely new way of thinking and operating. All of the rules, the culture, the dress code, the tone of voice and chain of command that I’d known went straight out of the window from day one. I had come from a very predictable and structured place to work, to the fast-growing, fast-paced, highly dynamic working environment of Packfleet.

To anyone who is making (or thinking about) the big move from a corporate job to a startup, here are the six most important things I learnt in week one of joining Packfleet.

1. Your opinion really does matter at a startup

Because our team is small, every person has impact and your opinion really does matter. Working at Packfleet showed me how every member of the team (no matter who they were or what area they worked in) were so open to new ideas and ways of thinking.

You really get the sense that you’re vital to the company’s success and that felt very empowering. The fact that you’re so valued from the offset means that the environment felt more democratic and less hierarchical than that of the corporate world.

2. You’ll be getting to grips with all areas of the business and you'll get to know the team very quickly

Working at a startup means that you know what’s going on in all areas, all of the time. You don’t have to wait for your monthly team meeting to know what developments have been made in the marketing department or wait until the weekly news roundup to know which new partners you have on board or which systems have gone live. You'll get to know the ropes quickly and that means you get to know the people you're working with quickly too!

3. Things move FAST

Don’t be surprised if a new idea you have on a Monday morning is implemented by Monday afternoon. Turn around times are speedy!

There is no corporate chain to get ideas signed off or suggestions approved. If your idea is good, you’ll have the opportunity to run with it and it’ll get implemented as soon as it possibly can.

4. No two days are the same

Working at a startup means that no two days are the same, and you definitely won’t get bored!

One day I’ll find myself drafting blog posts, the next cleaning the office in preparation for building works and the next driving a van around London doing deliveries. All topped off with some table tennis of course!

5. You'll be tapping into everything you’ve ever learnt. Ever!

I might’ve joined Packfleet in Operations, but I imagine my love for building flat pack furniture is going to come in very handy at some point. Working at a startup means is all hands on deck. And this means that some skills you thought you'd never use at work might actually come in handy!

6. Everyone really believes in our mission and cares about making Packfleet a success

Everyone in our team truly believes in our mission and each person contributes to the company goals in their own way. It's so motivating to be part of a team who are all working together towards one goal and this is something that's often missing from big corporate environements

It’s an incredibly collaborative and warm environment to be part of, where everyone wants to help each other out. There’s no such thing as silly question and you really get the sense that we’re working as one team, for one mission.

Our journey has just begun and we’re looking for people to join us in our mission to redefine delivery. You can find our careers page here!