The Startup Swami has been a little busy these days -- more juicy posts will be coming soon. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy reading the office manager job description that I posted to Craigslist last night. I spent some time thinking about how to find a great person who has the right mindset and demeanor to fit in at Punchbowl. And this job description is what came out of that thinking. Every question in the job description has a purpose, and I've gotten some very interesting emails today as a result. What do you think? Do you think I'll find a great office manager with this job posting?
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We're a small consumer Internet start-up company in Framingham, and we're looking for a part-time office manager. The ideal candidate will be available from 11-2pm every day of the week, and is comfortable with the rapid nature of a tech startup. The Office Manager reports to the CEO. Our CEO is a smart but demanding person who wants an office manager with raw intelligence, a superior memory for details, and a great sense of humor. Rather than sending a resume (which we really don't want to read), please email a quick summary of your work/life experiences and answer the following questions:
1) Including the current President, who were the last six Presidents of the United States?
2) Fill in the blanks: When I see a _______ I always ________
3) Do you like American Idol? Why or why not?
4) My favorite beer is ___________ from ____________
5) The last website I visited before Craigslist was ___________
6) The email address I used to create an account on MyPunchbowl.com is __________
BONUS: Find a picture of a cute puppy online. Send a link to the picture.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Sometimes the only solution is sleep
This is the kind of post that I want have on this blog; brutal, honest, and raw. These are my stream of consciousness thoughts after a bad day.
I was a crappy CEO today. I was a bad leader, ineffective at my job, and a jerk to those around me. I pride myself on being a great leader and a great boss. Today I failed. Why? It pretty much comes down to one thing: I was exhausted. I needed a break. So I finally left work at around 5:00pm, and I came home and slept until 9:00pm. I feel better. I'm more rational, and calmer.
So what happened? I'm a new dad, and while I love my little daughter, it's overwhelming to be a new dad. I don't have nearly enough time in the day anymore. It's not that it's particularly hard to be a dad -- it's just time-consuming. I used to be able to "catch-up" on work in the evenings and weekends. I don't have time to do that anymore. Yes, it's hard to be a CEO of a start-up and a new dad.
When I'm tired (exhausted), everything becomes overwhelming. Small tasks become big, and I become very inefficient. I spend just as much time thinking about how overwhelmed I feel as I do actually trying to accomplish tasks. I know that I'm being ineffective, but that doesn't make it easier. My inbox piles up, and my attitude stinks. That's how I feel when I am really tired.
As the CEO, I set the tone for the company. I try to do my best everyday, but sometimes I fail. Today was one of those days. Case in point: I had a meeting today about a difficult problem, and I was an asshole the entire meeting. Instead of taking a productive approach that could have led to progress, I spent the entire meeting being defensive and ineffective. To those of you in that meeting today, I'm sorry. You deserve better.
When I'm tired and burnt out, everyone in the office feels my stress. I'm aware of this, and I try to keep to myself. But that's not how people are used to seeing me act. I know I impact the tone in the office when I feel this way. To everyone in the office who felt the bad vibe today, I'm sorry. You deserve better.
If you're reading this and feel exhausted, do everyone around you a favor: go to sleep. Sometimes the only solution is sleep. And that's ok. I'm going to go to bed now so I really get refreshed. Tomorrow is a new day.
I was a crappy CEO today. I was a bad leader, ineffective at my job, and a jerk to those around me. I pride myself on being a great leader and a great boss. Today I failed. Why? It pretty much comes down to one thing: I was exhausted. I needed a break. So I finally left work at around 5:00pm, and I came home and slept until 9:00pm. I feel better. I'm more rational, and calmer.
So what happened? I'm a new dad, and while I love my little daughter, it's overwhelming to be a new dad. I don't have nearly enough time in the day anymore. It's not that it's particularly hard to be a dad -- it's just time-consuming. I used to be able to "catch-up" on work in the evenings and weekends. I don't have time to do that anymore. Yes, it's hard to be a CEO of a start-up and a new dad.
When I'm tired (exhausted), everything becomes overwhelming. Small tasks become big, and I become very inefficient. I spend just as much time thinking about how overwhelmed I feel as I do actually trying to accomplish tasks. I know that I'm being ineffective, but that doesn't make it easier. My inbox piles up, and my attitude stinks. That's how I feel when I am really tired.
As the CEO, I set the tone for the company. I try to do my best everyday, but sometimes I fail. Today was one of those days. Case in point: I had a meeting today about a difficult problem, and I was an asshole the entire meeting. Instead of taking a productive approach that could have led to progress, I spent the entire meeting being defensive and ineffective. To those of you in that meeting today, I'm sorry. You deserve better.
When I'm tired and burnt out, everyone in the office feels my stress. I'm aware of this, and I try to keep to myself. But that's not how people are used to seeing me act. I know I impact the tone in the office when I feel this way. To everyone in the office who felt the bad vibe today, I'm sorry. You deserve better.
If you're reading this and feel exhausted, do everyone around you a favor: go to sleep. Sometimes the only solution is sleep. And that's ok. I'm going to go to bed now so I really get refreshed. Tomorrow is a new day.
Monday, February 1, 2010
One dream fulfilled: Groundhog Day 2010
Talk to any great entrepreneur in any business, and you'll find that behind the business is a personal story that relates to the business. In my case, my fascination with Groundhog Day was somewhat of an inspiration for MyPunchbowl. Allow me to explain...
For as long as I can remember, my favorite holiday has been Groundhog Day. I think it all began because I wanted to be a weatherman. I studied weather during a daytime summer camp at Garvies Point in Long Island when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I loved the idea that meteorologists stood in front of a green screen and didn't even see the weather maps! But I've never been strong in math, so my interest waned as I learned how many computations are involved in predicting the weather. My interest in weather was piqued again when I learned that there was a furry rodent who predicted the weather (without math!) each year who lived in a town called Punxsutawney. I was hooked.
My love for Groundhog Day reached new heights when the movie Groundhog Day came out in 1993. As a student at the University of Rochester, I had a new way to share the revelry with my classmates. So I dressed up in a suit, and wished everybody a happy Groundhog Day.
Fast forward to 1997, and I made my (infamous) solo trip to Punxsutawney, PA to meet the Seer of Seers. The night before I left for the twelve hour trip, we had a small party with a few friends. That was the first annual party, and this year will be party #14. Each year has been more elaborate than the last, and fun has been had by many. I've written about Groundhog Day on the Punchbowl company in years past. Here's my Groundhog Day post from 2007, my preparations from our 12th annual party in 2008, and another blog post after the party from 2008.
For 2010, I wanted to do something special for Groundhog Day-- so on a whim, I picked up the phone and called the folks who developed Groundhog.org. I told them that I wanted to partner with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and create an eCards site. After a little negotiation, we signed an agreement with Groundhog.org to become the exclusive provider of Groundhog Day eCards. This morning, we made the official Groundhog Day press announcement.
When I started Punchbowl, I had a few dreams that I wanted to fulfill. Today I can cross one of them off of the list. Punchbowl is an official partner of the Groundhog Day festivities and close partners with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Awesome. Happy Groundhog Day!
For as long as I can remember, my favorite holiday has been Groundhog Day. I think it all began because I wanted to be a weatherman. I studied weather during a daytime summer camp at Garvies Point in Long Island when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I loved the idea that meteorologists stood in front of a green screen and didn't even see the weather maps! But I've never been strong in math, so my interest waned as I learned how many computations are involved in predicting the weather. My interest in weather was piqued again when I learned that there was a furry rodent who predicted the weather (without math!) each year who lived in a town called Punxsutawney. I was hooked.
My love for Groundhog Day reached new heights when the movie Groundhog Day came out in 1993. As a student at the University of Rochester, I had a new way to share the revelry with my classmates. So I dressed up in a suit, and wished everybody a happy Groundhog Day.
Fast forward to 1997, and I made my (infamous) solo trip to Punxsutawney, PA to meet the Seer of Seers. The night before I left for the twelve hour trip, we had a small party with a few friends. That was the first annual party, and this year will be party #14. Each year has been more elaborate than the last, and fun has been had by many. I've written about Groundhog Day on the Punchbowl company in years past. Here's my Groundhog Day post from 2007, my preparations from our 12th annual party in 2008, and another blog post after the party from 2008.For 2010, I wanted to do something special for Groundhog Day-- so on a whim, I picked up the phone and called the folks who developed Groundhog.org. I told them that I wanted to partner with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and create an eCards site. After a little negotiation, we signed an agreement with Groundhog.org to become the exclusive provider of Groundhog Day eCards. This morning, we made the official Groundhog Day press announcement.
When I started Punchbowl, I had a few dreams that I wanted to fulfill. Today I can cross one of them off of the list. Punchbowl is an official partner of the Groundhog Day festivities and close partners with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Awesome. Happy Groundhog Day!
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