Leaning into Responsibility at a Startup
Today, I realized just how much I do at Shukran, and surprisingly, I’m enjoying it. At times, I feel like a superhero, juggling so many tasks all at once. It makes me feel unstoppable, and most importantly, I feel valued within the team. As the leader, I know I’m supposed to delegate tasks, and I’ve been doing that, but I’ve also learned that there are some things only I can handle.
For instance, I assigned my team the responsibility of organizing a fundraising campaign and inviting guests. They didn’t follow through, though. Fear held them back, and they opted to focus on other tasks instead. Now, it’s up to me to step in and get it done.
What I’ve come to understand is that I grow in proportion to my responsibilities, not based on systems or aspirations. It’s responsibility that drives me, and the call to serve is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I wake up every day with the intention to give back, to make a difference, and to work on something meaningful. If what I was doing didn’t matter, I would quickly get bored and seek out something more fulfilling. That’s why I couldn’t thrive in corporate environments, and why I didn’t enjoy working at LVCT. Rigid places that stifle growth are the worst for someone ambitious and eager to achieve big things. This is why the startup life is so appealing—your only limit is your willingness to learn and execute.
In a startup, opportunities are always there, but you have to seize them by working diligently. If you don’t, someone else will have the courage and determination to do so. That’s life, and we have to accept it.
Working at a startup exposes you to so many things. From being an Innovation Fellow to becoming a Co-founder, I’ve done nearly everything in business. Hiring, firing, building products, selling to customers, marketing to online audiences, running learning sessions—you name it. I’ve tackled it all and developed just enough skill in each area to be effective. And that excites me because it feeds my ambition to become a versatile generalist, capable of facing any challenge.
That’s the reality of startups. As a co-founder, I need to be ready to make decisions and changes that significantly impact many people. It’s a responsibility I embrace.