Zen & Startup Management
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Tanmay Kayande gave a presentation on applying Zen principles to startup management. He discussed using Zen to remain calm amid the chaos of a startup by focusing on solutions over feelings. Some key Zen practices for startups include non-attachment to avoid overwork, active listening to defuse tensions, embracing failure to improve quickly, and simplicity. Zen can provide calmness in the startup environment, for personal well-being, when developing products, and within teams.
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Zen & Startup Management
- 1. Zen and the Art of Startup Management Speaker: Tanmay Kayande
- 2. Zen = Calm in Chaos
- 4. Zen = Calm in Chaos
- 6. Tanmay Kayande CTO Respond Crisis Translation linkedin.com/in/kayande/ Prod. Ops. Mgr AI Ethicist Startup Mentor Google Google Google
- 7. Solutions > Feelings Zen Solutions > Feelings
- 10. Zen in: Startup Environment
- 11. You need to see the forest So your people see the right trees
- 12. Zen Practice #1 Non Attachment
- 13. Holding on to every task leads to: overwork, stress, and a lack of focus on the big picture
- 14. “Turn that ship around!”
- 15. Zen in: Personal
- 16. Zen Practice #2 Active Mindful Listening
- 17. Steps to defuse a person’s defense: 1. Listen without the intent to respond 2. Offer a neutral summary of what you heard 3. Iterate on the summary of what the other person has said until they say, “Yes, that’s right.” 4. Then respond to that.
- 18. Zen in: Product
- 19. The market is always right (kinda…)
- 20. Fixing Pains > Improving Gains
- 21. Zen Practice #3 Embrace Failure
- 22. Fail Fast Fail Often = Agile Fail Fast Fail Often = Agile
- 23. Wabi Sabi: Find Beauty in Imperfection Kintsugi: Highlighting the Imperfect Beauty Kaizen: Continual Incremental Improvement
- 24. Failure: = Expected Risk ≠ Expected Outcome
- 25. Zen in: Team
- 28. Conclusio n
Editor's Notes
- A couple of months ago I was invited by Glorium Tech to deliver this talk and learned that y’all are either Startup CTOs or are around the path to be. I also understood that I would only have 30 min to deliver something of high value to you. My instinct was to mosaic together tools, stories, methodologies, and more and then try to cram that into the time. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that to you. Then I really thought about you. Each one of you represents the driving force behind innovation and technological advancements in our ecosystem. As Startup CTOs, you hold the key to unlocking the potential of your organizations. Like you, I’ve worked in startups. Show me a thumbs up if you agree: They’re fast paced, rapidly changing, continually scrappy. I’ve been in tech too, that’s not any slower. Then as a CTO, that’s high pressure regardless of industry. So startups are fast, tech is faster, and you as CTOs at Tech Startups need to stay ahead of that pace to be successful. Neither school nor life teach you how to maintain such high performance for a sustainable distance. So that’s what we’ll talk about today. I’m going to start with a summary of everything we’re going to cover. Then I’ll share a bit about myself. Then we’ll dive into each of the topics. And I’ll tie everything together at the end. And with that…
- Let’s start by taking a moment to reflect on the essence of Zen. For me, it is bringing calm to chaos. To articulate how that relates to startup management, here’s how we’re going to explore Zen.
- In the evolving landscape of startups, finding moments of stillness becomes vital. It’s in these moments that we can gather our thoughts, recenter ourselves, and make the right decisions amidst the chaos that surrounds us. To achieve this Zen state, it is crucial to start by focusing on ourselves. As CTOs, we bear the responsibility of leading our organizations with strength and clarity. However, in the pursuit of success, it is easy to neglect our personal growth and well-being. By investing time and effort in our own development, we become better leaders, capable of steering our companies towards greatness. Once we have fortified ourselves, it’s time to carry the principles of Zen to our organizations. We’ll talk about the concept of non-attachment and the importance of learning to delegate effectively a little later. By empowering our teams, we create an environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and growth. The path to success isn’t, however, a solitary one. Through our teams we can truly make an impact. That’s why we need to focus on inspiring and motivating our team members. By fostering open communication, encouraging collaboration, and creating a safe zone for failure, We can cultivate a culture of continuous learning and improvement. These principles of Zen can guide us on this journey of leading tech startups. As we navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that come our way, Let us not forget to find moments of stillness, both within ourselves and within our organizations. By embracing Zen in our personal lives, carrying it to our companies, and inspiring our teams, We create a harmonious and purposeful ecosystem that can withstand any storm.
- Again, Zen is bringing calm to chaos. So here’s how we’ll navigate to finding that calm.
- First, we’ll get you some breathing room from your environment. In the speed and chaos of tech and startups, let’s get you up for air, for just a moment before we dive back in. Then, we need to first focus on you. Because that’s where your command over the world around you stems from. Once you have yourself in order, then we can talk about your company or product. I mean, that’s the lifeblood that keeps you alive in the market. It’s also why we talk about you and the environment first. Finally, we’ll talk about carrying this to your people. Until they see you leading by example, they’re gonna hear “zen” and think “great, more silicon valley woo woo fluff getting added to our principles”. When they see how after applying what you learned from this talk, how you’re going to be less stressed, more grounded and present in the problems you’re dealing with, able to have more clarity, and possibly have a new grasp on your business, they’re going to lean in and ask how they can get there too. So let’s get started.
- My name is Tanmay Kayande I’m the CTO of Respond Crisis Translation. That’s a multinational nonprofit bringing language justice and aid to the parts of the world that need it most. In parallel, I’m also a Product Operations Manager at Google where I’m also an advocate on AI Ethics and also a mentor to early stage startups. And that’s cool, but my real flex though? Despite all that, I still get 7 hours of sleep. It wasn’t always like this though! I remember early on in my career, I had a calendar packed past its brim, working 80-100 hr weeks, stress bloomed, anxiety flourished. And I remember thinking, “How can I scale, if I’m currently struggling” Just cause I’m busy, doesn’t mean I’m being productive
- Now I’m the type of person who’d rather find a solution than talk about my feelings. So when I was at that point I went seeking a solution and that’s where I stumbled onto zen.
- Once again, Zen was finding Calm in the Chaos. I figured, if I can do that, then managing myself in a tech startup and growing my career would be way more manageable.
- Zen accepts that chaos is bound to happen. Rather than fight something so inevitable, it shows how to flow with it.
- I’d like you to remember when you first started your current role. Show me a thumbs up if you were excited. Mostly clear calendar, kind of empty inbox, maybe a slack channel dedicated to pet pictures of your fur babies? Right?! Then what happened? Chaos of the market disrupted your calm. You had to understand the current state of the market. You formed a vision of where your company should go. And you saw there’s a lot of stuff that needs to happen to get there including parts currently unknown. Show me a thumbs up if you’re the kind of leader out there on the front lines with your people helping knock out the obstacles and tasks standing in the way of your vision. See, and that’s a noble thing that your people see you’re not shy of getting your hands dirty. However, this carries an inherent risk.
- They need you to see the forest as they knock down the trees to build the path forward. They need you to see the environment and the path ahead so they have to do the least effort while maximizing company progress.
- One of the key tenets of Zen is the practice of non-attachment. Of course you want to be involved in every aspect of your business, and that’s why you brought in brilliant people. You might feel like the only way to get something done right is to do it yourself. As an individual you have a finite capacity, with people, you have leverage and scale.
- Trying to hold on to every task can lead to overwork, stress, and a lack of focus on the big picture. Delegating to your team frees up your time to focus on strategic planning and growth. You might think, “easier said than done”. I’ll share a quick story with you to illustrate how this zen practice can apply to startup management.
- It’s from the book, “Turn that ship around!” by US Navy Captain David Marquet where he was assigned in command of the USS Santa Fe. The Santa Fe at the time was the worst performing crew in the Navy and the Captain was brought in to fix this. With a single command and a little bit of time, the Santa Fe went from being one of the worst crews to becoming one of the best. So what happened? When Captain Marquet joined the crew, he saw the crew would ask for direction or permission to do any of their tasks. Even the ones they’d done tons of times. Maybe the old Captain needed things done a certain way or wanted to offer his guidance/wisdom/direction if he thought anything could be better. Regardless, he was probably stressed beyond belief that he had so many decisions to make and tasks to finish too. Captain Marquet had a different approach. His one command to the crew was simple. The Crew will now tell the Captain in present tense, “I am going to do X”. Unless there was a reason to disagree or investigate, he would affirm with a simple, “Copy”. This led to significant improvements in performance and morale. The Crew started to trust themselves and could proactively make smarter and faster decisions. The book is a powerful reminder that leadership is not a one-person job, but rather a team effort, and that creating a culture of ownership and accountability can lead to transformative results. This practice of nonattachment feels uncomfortable at first however you’ll be surprised by how well things go even when you’re hands off. This gives you more time to do the things which matter most. Better understand your environment. Execute a more refined vision. That was the macro. Now, let’s make this personal.
- Show me a thumbs up if you wish you had a magic wand to get people to stop being defensive when they disagree with you. You’ll want to take note of this next Zen principle. It sounds straightforward, it’s called active mindful listening.
- I’ll tell you how it works in a moment. The reason of all the things we could talk about today, I think this skill is the most important to finding zen on a personal level is how broadly you can use it. Whether it’s the people in your personal or professional life that are quick to get defensive or know how to push your buttons. Remember, you’re supposed to make clear effective efficient decisions and getting into arguments steals your peace and hinders your ability to do that. What’s the point of getting more time if you’re going to have to spend it fighting. Later, we’ll talk about how your zen will affect the people around you. For now, let’s get into the skill of active mindful listening. Here’s how it works:
- The next time you find yourself butting heads with someone, take a breath Listen without the intent to immediately respond. You will eventually, but pause the urge to have an immediate response. Really tune in to what the other person has said. Listen in such a way that you’re going to summarize what they said and repeat it back to them in a way that they say, “yes, that’s right”. Remember, you’re not agreeing with their perspective, simply stating it in a neutral way that is agreeable to that person. Once the person agrees to your restatement, you can address that perspective. This works like magic because it separates the person from the perspective. From there, you can work together against the problem instead of against each other. People aren’t used to being heard! Notice in interactions how many people are really just waiting for their turn to speak. When they do that, their mind doesn’t consider the implications or depth of what that person is saying. You don’t have to agree, but if you can articulate what they said back in a neutral or even better and concise way, you’ll drop their defenses. The “yes, that’s right” part is something I found really helpful from the book, “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss, a former FBI Lead Hostage negotiator. Let me say that again, he was the Lead Hostage negotiator of the FBI and used active mindful listening in some of the most high stakes situations a person can be faced with. Can you imagine yourself in your company with this new found superpower to defuse a situation before it gets heated. Show me a thumbs up if you already have someone in mind you’re gonna try this out on.
- With the nonattachment we talked about before, we got you more time. With mindful listening, we talked about defusing conflicts. And both of these got us ready to finally talk about how to bring zen to your product or business.
- To start, it's important to acknowledge that the market generally tends to favor businesses and products that align with its demands. While this isn't always the case, there is often a pretty good correlation between understanding the market and the rewards it returns.
- Generally, you’ll see that fixing pains adds way more value than improving gains. By addressing the needs and desires of your target audience, you can create user-centered solutions that truly resonate with the people you serve. This means we need to use the nonattachment to let go of preconceptions we have of what the customer wants and show a genuine commitment to actively listen to their feedback. We need to really listen to what the customer actually needs and deploy what Chris Voss calls tactical empathy to make sure the customer feels understood.
- It’s also important to embrace failure as an integral part of the process. Failure should be viewed as an expected risk rather than some sort of mark of incompetence or inadequacy. Recognize that as you iterate and refine your business or product, you’re not always going to be right. However, it is through these failures that valuable lessons are learned, leading to growth and improvement. Understanding this inherent risk in the process helps you navigate the challenges with a resilient mindset. Once that understanding is set… Then we can build. Then we can iterate.
- Don’t fail fast and fail often thinking that’s what it means to be agile. That path leads to short term chaos and long term burnout as it focuses on the failures. Pursue long term perfection and in failing settle for excellence. Embracing failure in the pursuit of perfection is not a simplistic or easy path. It requires dedication, resilience, and a willingness to learn from setbacks. It aligns with a Zen approach that values the journey and the growth that comes from confronting and overcoming challenges. Both paths are hard, but choose your hard. Any attempt to try is to risk failure. This idea for striving for a higher ideal and embracing the failures on the path is a zen approach.
- We don’t have enough time today to get into finding the beauty in imperfections (wabi sabi) and highlighting them by, for example, turning bugs into features (kintsugi) but know this, embracing failure in the pursuit of perfection involves continual improvement (kaizen), iterations, and experimentation to reflect a changing market.
- To underline this idea: Failure is an expected risk not an expected outcome. As that settles in, let’s finally set our attention to your teams.
- You’re about to see how everything we have spoken about so far has prepared us to talk about people management in a tech startup environment. Listen, managing people is never an easy task, however applying some of the Zen principles we have spoken about can help build an aligned cohesive team. Remember we talked about Captain Marquet aligning his crew to his vision and using nonattachment to get out of their way? You and your crew are all in the same boat. You have brought in brilliant people, trust them to do their thing.
- Demonstrate and foster open communication. Kim Scott wrote the book on “radical candor” where an organization should strive for a culture of trust and transparency where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback without a fear of condemnation or retaliation. With a nonattachment to any idea, mindfully listening to what your team is truly trying to voice, and deploying tactical empathy to make sure your team feels understood, your company will reap the seeds you sow. Your team will feel valued and motivated to contribute to the company’s collective success. You will increase your team’s morale, unity, and sense of purpose. Seeing your perspective on embracing failure will initiate constructive feedback loops. This will encourage experimentation and innovation leading to faster iterations and better outcomes for your business. Your team will emulate themselves as an extension of you. You’ll see more cross collaboration as they start to embrace these zen principles.
- As a bonus, there’s one final principle of Zen that underlies everything that came before. Across all these topics, find simplicity. When it comes to your vision, mission, process, product, people. Let it permeate everything. Simplicity, in its essence, is about stripping away the unnecessary layers, eliminating clutter, and focusing on what truly matters. It is about distilling complex ideas and processes into their purest forms, allowing for greater clarity and efficiency. Unfortunately, we don’t have time today to talk about first principles or systems thinking approaches. I’ll share one last quick story before we wrap everything up. It highlights how simplicity isn’t about oversimplifying complex problems or ignoring important details. It’s about distilling the essence of complexity into its most meaningful and actionable components. It’s about finding elegance and creating an environment that fosters focus, clarity, and effectiveness. A little after WW2 skyscrapers were getting built all over the country. People started complaining that the elevators took too long. The complex solution was to build faster elevators. Some zen engineer figured out the simple solution was to install mirrors. If people are distracted, they won’t notice the time. As startup CTOs, embracing simplicity lets us approach old problems with a new lens. It empowers us to lead with intention, make informed decisions, and inspire our teams to reach new heights.
- Let’s take a deep breath and bring everything together. *deep breath* We’ve covered a lot in this bit of time. We started by talking about how Zen finds the calm in the chaos. Then we spent some time focused on your company’s environment, you, the company or product itself, and your team. The topics I touched and stories I shared leave the door open for leagues of depth but for the limit of time. The actual practices I shared however can be immediately applied. Try them out in earnest and without expectations. You’ll be surprised by how such simple things can work so well. You might see this pop up in some of the other talks today too. When you set your sights from where you are to where you’re trying to be and ruthlessly remove everything unconducive to reaching that point you’ll have the luxury of space and time to do what you want instead. As you manage your startup you’ll find calm amidst the chaos. That is Zen and the art of startup management.
- Thank you.