tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post553666057058196347..comments2023-10-18T08:32:17.510-07:00Comments on Kevin Hillstrom: MineThatData: Working At Very Large CorporationsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-85773903226254755782007-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:002007-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:00Good feedback, Anonymous --- thanks for sharing.Th...Good feedback, Anonymous --- thanks for sharing.<BR/><BR/>This "running your own business" sounds better and better with each passing day!MineThatDatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014200122021988374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-76865478939323139202007-02-22T04:00:00.000-08:002007-02-22T04:00:00.000-08:00Kevin,Excellent post and comments above. While Jef...Kevin,<BR/>Excellent post and comments above. While Jeff has a valid point about large companies and negotiating skills, I side with anonymous that it is more productive--and more fun-- to work at a small company. Internal politics exist at both levels, but at a smaller company, employees are motivated to keep their job, so even when there is a conflict, those feelings are usually squashed to get job done, while at a larger company, no matter how good a negotiator you are, someone at any level, motivated by a personal jealousy or petty emotion or bad hair day, can kill a project just by delaying approval.<BR/>Other advantages of smaller companies include:<BR/>1. Ability to learn more. You mentioned in your earlier post about data analysts not being good at marketing or pigeonholed into "fetch data, boy(or girl)". At a smaller company one is able to learn a variety of skillsets and in process, grow as a person. So the data analyst learns how to apply that data, to come up with marketing ideas, production ideas, that are listened to, and acted on. <BR/>2. Easily implement changes. Yes, it is good to have checks and balances at any business; however, that being said, the ability to push a project through on personal responsibility alone, enables a small company to have an advantage the larger ones are unable to compete with. I deal with large retailers every day, and in some cases large suppliers who compete with us ordinarily. At one company, working on setting up a trading partnership I worked with 25 different people on their side, and on my end there only needed to be 3 signatures. As you can imagine, with that many people, waiting for email and voice responses, the project took 10 weeks. With a small to medium size retailer(80 or less stores), the time to set up is a fraction of that. At one large company we were held up for three months because two of their high-level employees from different departments disagreed with each other(perhaps personal as well) and for an essential packaging requirement they provided us not only with conflicting information which cost us money, but embarrassing gossip about the other person! Fortunately one was promoted to another department.<BR/>3. At a small company, incompetence does not stick around. You have to be good, motivated, dedicated, and friendly. At a larger company, incompetence can be hidden by "that's not my responsibility" or worse yet, the Peter Principle. <BR/>There are other advantages but those are best above.<BR/><BR/>The disadvantages of a small company include workload, very little depth for employee emergencies, and in some situations, smaller budget. <BR/><BR/>Best to start with large company and work your way into your own business! :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-7869828808141747152007-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:002007-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:00Anonymous --- thanks for your insight. It would b...Anonymous --- thanks for your insight. It would be interesting to study how much time the average large-company person spends navigating internal politics. You always wonder how companies can downsize, when business is challenged. Maybe businesses can downsize because the 75% you talk about has to be eliminated, when business is bad.<BR/><BR/>Jeff --- I agree, big companies require an employee to develop a discipline-based skillset. I think the big company employee could have success elsewhere because s/he has had to defend arguments and learn to communicate well.<BR/><BR/>Lots of pros and cons to big & small companies.MineThatDatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014200122021988374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32202893.post-72655183075447254812007-02-20T05:35:00.000-08:002007-02-20T05:35:00.000-08:00You have eloquently explained why I prefer working...You have eloquently explained why I prefer working at small companies rather than large ones. I have worked at both, and I have found that I spend 90% of my time at a small company driving the business forward. At a large company, I spend 25% of my time driving the business forward, 50% negotiating for resources and approvals, and 25% reforecasting plans.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com