Posts Tagged "startup"


The Simpsons, like the real world, is filled with varied personalities. This blog post breaks down some of the characters from the Simpsons and reveals some interesting personality types that seem to correlate with real-life start-up bosses. Here is a brief synopsis of a few Simpsons’ characters and their “boss personas”. Hank Scorpio – The Dream Boss Background: Hank was the Super Villain who lured Homer to Creek to run his nuclear weapons division. Hank was down to earth, yet worldly. He was an expert recruiter, and able to bring in top talent (although Homer is questionable) and get them to perform. Hank was accessible, highly personable and very smart. He wasn’t a micromanager and put faith in his management team, namely Homer. Characteristics: Highly charismatic, goal oriented and well-funded and not afraid to roll up his sleeves Summary: Hank was a very successful person and he was able to motivate his employees. Even when Hank’s business was in trouble, he led by example. Hank wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty by taking a flamethrower to the government agents who invaded his operation. At the end of the day he prevailed, and was good enough to reward Homer by fulfilling his dream of owning an NFL team. Homer Simpson – The Charismatic Fool Background: Homer has had the chance to be a boss on many occasions, but the one instance that comes to mind is when he was asked to run a nuclear power plant for super villain Hank Scorpio. He cared about his employees, but didn’t personally have much skill. Despite Homer’s previous experiences, he was still well ahead of the Chemical Weapons and Weather Machine Divisions by motivating his staff. When his employees were working hard to get their work done, he noticed they were getting tired so he ordered hammocks for them. And really, who doesn’t like spending time at the Hammock district down on 3rd? Characteristics: Lazy, charismatic, temper problem Summary: Homer may not have been the best boss but he was able to inspire his team onto success. What he lacked in technical ability he delivered in charisma and heart. He was also cognisant that environment plays a role in a team’s productivity. Professor Frink – The Techie Background: Howard Frink is the prototypical techie. Frink is constantly designing and creating new inventions, but doesn’t consider whether the market needs or wants his solution. His experiments or prototypes would typically blow up in his face after he had given them a very long and wordy title. Characteristics: Highly intelligent, can be unfocused, out of touch with the customer Summary: While he is a...

Read More

I have worked at a number of startups and have the scars to prove it. While it can be tough at times, it is a pretty rewarding experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. You get to be part of really cool projects – I think one of the best parts of startups is doing cool things. Startups are always pushing the envelope, whether it is with a new idea or new disruptive way of looking at the world. So many large companies are looking for ways to slow progress, ideas or different ways of solving problems, for obvious reasons. Startups on the other hand thrive on novelty and innovation. People really are passionate about the ”idea”. In a good startup, no one mails it in. Everyone cares about taking things to the next level and making the idea work. Sometimes it can be daunting, but working on something cool makes it all worthwhile. You are excited about being the Chief Cook and bottle washer – In startups you rarely get bored doing the same thing. In the large companies I have worked in you could easily find yourself becoming Senior Analyst Level 2 and work there for 5 years doing the same thing. In both work and leisure time, I like variety, and that is the beauty of startups – you never have a shortage of new things to take on. There are always new projects that you can take on to push outside of your comfort zone. Getting outside of your comfort zone is the only really way to help expand your horizons! There are the downsides though – no one wants to deal with the fridge! A year’s worth of forgotten lunches can develop their own special funk. You got your own style – I have to chuckle to myself when I see those people wearing suits all the time. I have a graveyard of over 10 suits sitting in my closet that only get used now for weddings, funerals and the odd meeting. There is something great about showing up at work wearing a snarky t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. In the summer, business casual is truly business casual. Sometimes when I see people in the financial district, I don’t think I could go back. I mean, who doesn’t love wearing a Cobra Commander t-shirt to the office? Getting excited over firsts – The first registered user, your first customer, your first press mention – all of these things invigorate the team. There is such a sense of achievement (it’s like unlocking a new Foursquare badge!). Seeing something build before your eyes is...

Read More