1. The document discusses startups as an alternative career path compared to the traditional "status quo" of corporate graduate jobs or consulting. It argues that while startups carry more perceived risk, they offer greater learning opportunities, flexibility, long-term rewards, and the ability to have more impact. 2. The author describes his own experience co-founding Zealify, a startup that helps people find jobs and provides career advice. After an initial failed startup, he learned that it is difficult but rewarding work. 3. The author provides tips for those considering startups, such as finding a good co-founder, gaining experience through side projects, learning from mentors, constantly improving skills, and being passionate

1. By
Andy Parker
Co-Founder at Zealify
@ParkerACS
@Zealify
www.zealify.com
Startups: The Status Quo
Should be Your Plan B

2. Who am I?
Hi I’m Andy (@ParkerACS)

3. Who am I?
UEA Graduate, 2012
- Business Management
Co-Founder
- UEA Management Society
Co-Founded Zealify
- £70k investment
- Team of 4
Since then:

4. Zealify’s Mission
To help people
discover great jobs
they enjoy in exciting
companies to work
for.
- High growth
startups & SMEs.
- 15-250 employees.
- Mostly tech & digital
- But roles of all types

5. Zealify Profiles

6. 2 things:
1.
Helping people
find great jobs
in high-growth
companies.
2.
Helping people
start their own
companies.

7. The status quo?
- Corporate graduate job?
- Management consulting,
accountancy, investment banking
etc.
- A ‘safe’, ‘secure’ ‘respectable’ job.

8. The status quo?
Myths & Pressures
- Higher perceived risk
- Lower perceived credibility
- Pressure from peers/family/
university
- Your bank balance

9. “The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a
world that is changing really quickly, the only
strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking
any risks”
- Mark Zuckerberg

10. Route to success

11. The Alternatives…

12. Reasons to startup
2
3
1
5
6
4
Impact
Learning
Results
Flexibility
Long term reward
Ownership

13. Reasons to join a startup
2
3
1
5
6
4
Impact
Learning
Team
Meritocracy
Long term reward
Join a Mission

14. Financial Outcomes
Source:
h*ps://view-­‐api.box.com/1/sessions/e8c318c1945d4d0a9b3ac3bab12f8558/view

15. I decided to startup
Try
|
Fail
|
Try
|
Succeed

16. Startup #1
The good:
Solving our own problem
The BAD:
We didn’t care that much.

17. Startup #1
NEITHER did anyone else!
And so it
FAILED

18. Lesson #1
It’s REALLY, REALLY hard!
BUT
It’s hugely rewarding!

19. Top tips…

20. Top tip #1
1. Find a great co-founder
- It’s hard! You need support.
- Complimentary skill-sets
- Higher chances of success

21. Top tip #2
2. Launch a side project
(not a startup)
- Test if you can work together
- You’ll learn a lot
- It doesn’t matter if it fails
- Do it for fun
- It can always become a startup

22. Top tip #3
3. Find great mentors
Surround yourself with great
people
- Who’s done it before?
- Support, guidance, sounding
board, mediation.
- Credibility

23. Top tip #4
4. Always be learning
- You’re never ‘done’
- There are always challenges to
face – they’re just different.
- Learn the skill until you
understand it enough to
delegate it.

24. Top tip #5
5. You have to be
passionate about it!

25. Top tip #6
6. Build your personal brand.
Linkedin.
Up
to
date,
professional,
key-­‐words,
photo,
groups
Twi*er.
Be
relevant,
engage,
stay
current.
About.me
Your
personal
home-­‐page.
Personal
site
&
blog.
Wordpress.org
OR
build
it
yourself.
Blogging
is
the
new
CV.
CommuniUes.
Hacker
News,
GrowthHackers.com,
Inbound.org,
subreddits
etc

26. Top tip #6
6. Build your personal
brand.
“Your personal brand is what
people say about you when you’re
not in the room”
- Jeff Bezos

27. Top tip #7
7. Just get started.
Don’t be a ‘wantrepreneur’

28. My route so far.

29. The future for Zealify
1. Continue to grow...
1. Customers
2. Team
3. Impact
4. Learning
5. Revenue

30. The future for Zealify
2. Build more relationships
with mentors, investors,
peers.

31. After Zealify?
Who knows?

32. Check out…
The Lean Startup by Eric Reis
www.startupclass.co

33. “Your work is going to fill a large
part of your life, and the only way
to be truly satisfied is to do what
you believe is great work. And the
only way to do great work is to
love what you do.”
- Steve Jobs

34. If it fails...
You can always go back and follow
the status quo.

35. Andy Parker
andy@zealify.com
@ParkerACS
@Zealify
www.zealify.com
Thank you!
Any Questions?