The Startup Experience

Short story by @fatijaoui //

Nia was incredulous upon learning that she had secured a coveted position at the premier startup in the AI industry. As she packed her belongings, she couldn't help but replay the grueling interview process in her mind, her lips curling into a contented smile.

Her first week at the company was nothing short of extraordinary. She was fortunate enough to be surrounded by some of the brightest and most brilliant minds in the field, each one an expert in their own right. Nia eagerly accepted the multitude of projects that came her way, working with a fierce passion and unwavering dedication. She knew that this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and she was determined to make the most of it. In fact, she was so committed to succeeding in her role that she would rather perish than squander this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

In no time at all, Nia found herself bringing work home with her, completely overwhelmed by the staggering volume of projects she was tasked with leading. Unbeknownst to her, she was the most underpaid member of her team, despite holding the same title as many of her colleagues. This realization only served to fuel her resentment towards those who appeared to be coasting by, completing menial tasks while she bore the brunt of the workload.

As she became privy to the cutthroat office politics at play, Nia began to withdraw and distance herself from her peers. She was no longer the eager and enthusiastic team player she once was, no longer the first to volunteer for new projects. Instead, she worked tirelessly to complete the projects she had already taken on, hoping to minimize her workload. However, she soon discovered that many of these projects were stuck in a seemingly endless cycle, constantly circling back to the starting point. Despite her best efforts, Nia found herself trapped in an inescapable loop, her once-promising career now in jeopardy.

Despite her best efforts, Nia found it impossible to comprehend the logic behind the company's strategies and their ability to secure funding and garner widespread acclaim. After gaining a deeper understanding of the internal politics at play, she attempted to emulate her colleagues in hopes of gaining an advantage. However, as she observed the head of sales, she couldn't help but wonder if the only reason she held her position was due to her either being someone’s daughter or an exec booty call. Nia found it inconceivable that someone with such a limited understanding of basic sales processes and elementary mathematics could be entrusted with leading an entire team and department.

After confiding in some of her finance department colleagues, Nia learned that the controller lady from Taiwan was doing the absolute majority of the work, while the rest of the team spent their days making crude jokes. Meanwhile, the marketing department was a hotbed of tension, as colleagues vied for promotions through insincere interpersonal relationships and excessive flattery, neglecting the actual work required by their job descriptions. Even the HR department was little more than an event planning agency and catering business, tasked with organizing lavish and boozy parties, dinners, and breakfasts, and occasionally conducting interviews every once in a while.

The tech department was equally divided, with introverted geeks working behind the scenes and flashy, extroverted "bro" types taking credit for their work and ensuring that their names and pictures appeared on every social media or blog post. Nia found herself overworked as a developer, often tasked with completing projects after the flashy "geeks" had stolen her ideas. Despite facing constant pressure, Nia remained a kind and generous person, quietly toiling away in the background to protect herself from being taken advantage of by her colleagues.

Management had set an unfair standard, valuing physical appearance over competence and effort. Nia couldn't help but notice that those who were attractive and charming received preferential treatment, whereas those who didn't fit into the narrow beauty standards had to work much harder to be considered valuable. It was as if hard work was merely a tool to make unattractive team members tolerable.

Despite the mounting pressure and unrealistic expectations, Nia refused to conform to this toxic culture. She knew that blindly following the herd would only lead to burnout or worse, termination. Yet, even outside of work, Nia was constantly bombarded with requests for help from acquaintances who had never shown any genuine interest in her before. It was frustrating to be objectified and used as a means to an end.

One morning, after the morning briefing, layoffs began at the tech company where Nia worked. She was worried that she might lose her job and noticed that many of the more attractive people were being let go. However, this made her hopeful that she might still have a chance to keep her job.

The investors eventually took over the company and replaced all of the executive teams and their loyal employees. Ming was appointed as the new head of the finance department, while the marketing team was downsized and an external agency was brought in to handle their duties. The sales team was left in disarray, and the entire company began to feel more like a tech company than a modeling agency.

All team members were required to attend a general assembly by the investors. After the investors took over the tech company, a spokesperson for the investors announced to the remaining team members that if they could present a beta version of their solution by September, they would all receive a significant raise in their salaries. Nia tried to count how many team members were left, as she thought some might not be able to join. However, the spokesperson announced that the team, which now consisted of 30 people, had a chance to do amazing things and show the world what magic they could create. If they failed to do so, the company would be torn apart and buried.

After the assembly, Nia and Ming had lunch together in the big empty kitchen. Nia didn't understand what Ming meant when she said, "I don't trust them, they will do something shady even if you guys deliver. Whatever happens, I'll take care of us."

However, at the end of the month, Nia received a $100,000 bonus on top of her new shiny salary. As September approached, Ming managed to distribute pending bonuses, money that was meant for company parties, and salary increases that had been blocked for no reason to the remaining employees. Her calculations were perfect, and nothing appeared wrong in the company's books.It seemed that Ming had taken care of the team, as promised, and ensured that capitalism better paid off those hard working souls.

September 1st arrived, and the team delivered the app that allowed users to have a virtual assistant capable of making phone calls, writing emails, summarizing meetings, and more. The assistant was accessible through a phone function within the app, which made it feel like you were calling a real person. The team even managed to add the assistant to meetings and introduce it as a team member, impressing the investors.

A few weeks later, the tech company was sold for billions of dollars to Microsoft, and the whole team was fired. However, they decided to create their own startup, knowing that if they could create something so powerful in just a few months, nothing could stop them. Ming was appointed CEO of the Outcast company, and Nia became their CTO.

AUTHOR: FATIMA MOUDJAOUI

LAST EDITS: MARCH, 16TH 2023