Tech startups have a huge advantage over big tech businesses. The former can change objectives, teams, and projects without all the planning, development, and approvals large tech companies typically go through to make changes.
Innovative tech startups are hyper-focused on making their operations more agile. However, a more agile company doesn’t make itself overnight.
That said, making your tech startup more agile doesn’t have to be complex, even if it is a long game. Instead, implement these six tips to make it an easy transition.
1: Define Agility for Your Startup
Close your eyes. Now, imagine what your startup would look like more agile? How’s your workflow look? Who’s on your team? How do they work together? How would your team and startup improve with more agility?
If you want your startup to be more agile, you first have to define what that looks like for you and your team. All startups aren’t created equal. Your definition of agility and how it manifests in your team won’t look the same either.
Once you define agility for your startup, it’ll be easier to choose new employees or external partners to work with that support your vision.
2: Start in the Recruiting and Hiring Process
If you want more agility, start in the recruiting and hiring process. In other words, bring people on board that value agility as much as you do. They should be comfortable working in an operation that prioritizes pivoting over linear progression.
Recruit and hire individuals with varying talents as well. One of the main components of an agile company is delegating tasks according to each person’s skill set. So, a mix of specializations like content writing, user experience, technical abilities, marketing, product development, and so forth will go a long way.
In addition, look for candidates that want to work in a fast-paced environment and aren’t opposed to working on more than one project at a time.
Allowing your employees more flexibility is crucial, too.
3: Allow Your Employees More Flexibility
An agile tech startup makes room for flexibility across the entire organization, especially with its employees. Successfully dividing tasks, forming short and long-term goals, implementing short work phases, and reassessing and adjusting plans are at the core of agility. None of this is possible without flexibility.
An excellent way to approach more flexibility for your employees is to model your business after freelance work. Make remote work possible. Let your employees’ strengths tell you what roles they should be in, and be flexible about scheduling.
Reevaluating your tech stack is another solid move for making your startup more agile.
4: Use Tech Tools to Empower Your Team
It’s hard to run an agile tech startup without the proper tech tools in place to empower your team. Ensure you’ve got tools to help your team communicate, collaborate, and work on projects regardless of where each person is.
Also, think about security regarding your tech tools.
For example, let’s say you’re using open-source software in your startup. This is great for an agile organization because open-source software is always being developed and tested. But, at the same time, it’s easier for cybercriminals to hack. So, you may want to look into a closed-source software or a hybrid one to ensure your team can press on safely and securely.
Another tip for a more agile tech startup is to emphasize collaboration with your team.
5: Always Encourage Collaboration
Collaboration over everything — that should be the sentiment in your startup if you want to make it more agile. With so many things going on at once, no one should be making decisions independently.
Instead, each person on your team should consult and collaborate with the entire team or specific individuals before moving forward with any adjustments, changes, or projects. For example, you could implement a buddy or small-team system where everyone has a go-to person to lean on in their work. You could also hold team meetings for pressing needs and big decisions.
Furthermore, collaboration is more likely to be your team’s go-to if you embed it in your company culture.
6: Improve Your Company Culture
Many tech startups are trying to introduce agility into their operations. However, for most, the effort is temporary. As a result, their agility is too. To make agility an integral part of your startup, insert it into your company culture.
Agility should be a core value of your company. Use every opportunity to talk about the significance of agility in your startup to your employees, stakeholders, and other external partners. Share how your team is implementing it with your customers, too. Make it a point to shine the light on the positive things agility is doing for your startup.
Improving your company culture is the key to a more permanent transformation.
Conclusion
Making your tech startup more agile could be the difference between longevity and a premature end to your company. Implementing the above six tips is the start to making agility, flexibility, and collaboration the foundation of your startup.
