In an exciting turn of events, our in-office team decreased by 40% this week and I suddenly became the oldest one in the room.
In keeping with the pirate theme from last week, I thought this was appropriate:
My boss and his business partner both had the amazing opportunity to speak at a conference in Prague called Web Expo, so it was up to the rest of us to keep the Hapday ship on course. It was exciting on multiple levels: not only were we all being trusted to keep things moving along as usual, but also just knowing the fact that our bosses were in Europe helping support the entrepreneurial community there.
With this in mind, here’s a look at the goings-on of this past week.
At work
What I’ve been creating:
- An event.
Last week I decided to ask my boss if there was anything else that I could be doing to help take stuff off his plate. He took me up on it, and now I’m running logistics for a one day deep-dive into the US market.
The event is an opportunity for eight Spain-based startups to learn about the US business landscape, participates in workshops, and make valuable connections with relevant contacts here in New York.
I’ve never been to one of these, I don’t know how they’re run, and I am largely in over my head, but by George we’re making it happen.
This week involved pulling lists of relevant contacts here in New York, creating an event page for the networking event, and creating a handbook for the day. It was also an exercise in delegating, because I had express instructions to make sure to assign tasks to various coworkers to make it a team effort.
2. More content.
Staying on top of the calendar that we outlined last week was harder than I thought it would be. Largely because I hadn’t blocked out a chunk of my time in my schedule to get the majority of it created and scheduled. However, everything ended up going out on the day it was supposed to, so I view that as a success.
3. Processes and rulesheets.
After an unfortunate mixup with one of our tools last week, it brought about a renewed urgency to create a rulesheet for that tool.
This required diving deep into the nitty-gritty parts of how it works and how to best configure it for our use. I then created a 10 Commandments sheet (actually there are only 7, but 10 is catchier) and a checklist for each configuration.
What I’ve been learning:
- Limiting yourself forces you to be creative.
When creating that rulesheet for the tool we’ve been having issues with, I knew that it needed to be straightforward and clear, but also provide enough context for someone to truly understand the situation.
I began formatting it as the 10 Commandments as a joke to just get something on paper (to then edit later). However, starting each rule out with “Thou shalt” or “Thou shalt not” turned out to be hugely valuable. It forced me to phrase each rule as DO THIS or DON’T DO THIS — which is easy to follow and easy to remember.
Also, because I wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical, each rule could only be one line long. But some of them were originally much more than that, which forced me to think of new (and, most of the time, simpler) ways to phrase the same concept.
2. Good communication is truly the lifeblood of everything in this world.
Having both of our senior leadership leave halfway through the week, and then me suddenly becoming the Person Who Answers The Questions, was quite the transition.
Obviously our boss was still accessible by Slack, but with the time difference and their speaking commitments, it was largely up to us to get stuff done and figure things out. And when other people didn’t know what to do, I was responsible for delegating tasks, answering questions, and making sure that business was happening as usual.
Through all this I’m discovering even more the value of clear, efficient communication. Also, again, confidence. And the balance of confidence with humility and the damaging power of self-deprecation. It’s a lot.
This week in New York City!
1. They weren’t lying when they said to avoid the subway after 11pm.
I watched the man across from me jolt awake from his peaceful slumber and vomit all over the floor 15 seconds before the doors opened. So close… yet so far.
Potentially more concerning was the amount of unphased New Yorkers who didn’t even flinch each time they boarded the subway and were greeted by a pile of puke on the floor. These are a hardy people.
2. New York feels realer when there are real people in it.
My fiance came to visit, and it was wonderful and super weird.
This whole experience in New York hasn’t felt like real life yet. In a city with millions of unfamiliar faces, places, and things to do, it’s felt a little bit like an alternate reality.
It’s just me here, and literally everything I’ve ever known—my entire reality, if you will—is quite not present.
So it’s been nice and exciting, but I’ve had a hard time internalizing it as “This is my reality now,” with nothing externally grounding me.
But having him here totally shifted that. He’s from everything I have known. A little piece of that home-reality that hasn’t quite kicked in here yet. And it was really weird. I experienced the city in a way that I haven’t really gotten to yet. And it was really, really fun.
Also, it was nice just seeing him again. Long-distance can be less than enjoyable.
3. Homesickness is worse when you actually stay in touch.
I saw pictures of my littlest sister’s 3rd birthday party and it was the saddest thing that’s ever happened to me.
That’s an exaggeration, but I was really sad.
It’s easier to just not talk, call, FaceTime, or creep on social media because then it’s easier to ignore the fact that you’re missing out on regular life at home.
This was the first week I felt really truly homesick, and I think it’s because part of home came to me, gave me a little taste of that reality, and made me realize how much I missed it.
New York is amazing and I’m glad I’m here. But I think it’s valuable to transparently show the other side of the coin. And that was what this week was.
Next week will be another full week of the team carrying the torch while the bosses are away. Stay tuned for updates!