When the TipStart programme first started, it’s fair to say that Angus and I were slightly terrified that no one would sign up to be a TipSter. Our whole concept rests on the existence of two user groups being matched together: TipSters (current professionals) and TipStarters (current students or recent graduates). Because we weren’t sure about sign up numbers, we had a few quite serious conversations early on about just how many TipStarters we thought we as founders could credibly be matched with - our own letters of last resort to our algorithm.
In the end, lots of TipSters signed up and we managed to avoid having 17 TipStarters each (founding a startup is full of these moments of dramatic relief).
But that didn’t mean we avoided being matched with TipStarters full stop. We agreed right at the start that it was important for us as founders to experience our programme first-hand. This conclusion will continue into our new programme and app launch. As we look ahead to 2023 and hiring our first team members, I’m committed to utilising TipStart’s product as a mechanism for building our own diverse talent pipeline. You’ve got to practice what you preach.
Over the course of completing the TipStart programme with my two TipStarters, I drew a couple of lessons. Some will be applicable to future users and will feel familiar to former users, some are more specific for those of us learning to use a product we’ve built. In my next blog I will talk about how we took some of these lessons and applied them to product/service changes.
TipStart, like most professional work, is about building relationships. Your career in all its challenge and glory is inherently personal, so it takes a strong bond to begin the process of sharing. I think the pressure is on the TipSter to make this work right from the start. Getting it wrong felt like walking into the conversation unprepared and leaving too much space, allowing the feeling of awkwardness to creep in. Getting it right felt like being on the front foot about my own personal experiences and what I hoped to get out of the programme.
We are surrounded by the endless possibilities of communication, which can be slightly suffocating. Because there are so many options, we all have nuanced preferences. I am yet to meet another person as committed to iMessage. Even if it doesn’t feel like a high priority, establishing how you want to communicate and how regularly, is essential for success. Be prepared to compromise and be accommodating, not forceful. This is particularly important in deciding to meet in person. It is quite likely that over time, as you get to know each other better, communicating will become more natural and more regular.
As a TipSter, it can sometimes feel intimidating knowing that someone is looking to you for ideas and advice. Throughout the programme I reminded myself of two things: firstly, this is a two-way learning experience and secondly, the expertise needed for TipStart is just your own experience. I also relied on my own professional network to supplement my understanding of other sectors, or to offer an alternative view on a set of questions, and that worked really well.
How should a TipSter/TipStarter relationship end - does it have to? This was something I kept coming back to throughout my own experiences. The idea of an infinite relationship is scary, frankly. I reflected on my non-TipStart professional networking experience and recognised that there is a holding pattern you can comfortably move into with a professional contact where you have their contact details - more often than not LinkedIn - but stop regular communication. From this position, you can reach out with opportunities or questions, but there is no pressure. This is where I now find myself with all the TipStarters I was matched with, I’ve engaged quite a lot with one, and not at all with another. And that’s fine.