Waking up in the morning isn’t too bad. Yes, it’s early, but I don’t have to worry about putting on a suit. My jeans, t-shirt and company branded zip-up hoodie are perfectly acceptable. Somedays the traffic gets to me, and I arrive at work frustrated, but most days a quick perspective check makes the drive enjoyable.
I drive through downtown Clayton, past the government buildings, large corporations, banking offices and seemingly endless law firms. I turn on Carondelet and look down the street lined with tall brick buildings. At the end of the block, there’s The Ritz-Carlton with beautiful landscaping and fountains in front of it. My building is on the right, just before The Ritz. I turn into our building, driving right into our garage, avoiding the typical hassle of trying to find parking in downtown Clayton.
We have a reputation in the building. Maybe it’s because we wear super casual clothes in a building full of suits. It also could be that the other company on our floor can hear us playing pool. …and showing up with coolers full of beer at 8 AM when we had our company picnic probably didn’t help us fit in either. Before you start judging us, let me explain that one. We had a softball tournament after lunch at the park down the street. The coolers stayed closed until we were at the fields that afternoon. So yes, we stand out, and the side-eye in the elevator is always entertaining.
A quick scan of my keycard on the 12th floor and I’m in our kitchen. The kitchen is stocked with cereal, chips, candy, all kinds of snacks and about 7 different ways to make coffee. I still only know how to use one of them.
The quickest way to my desk is to cut through the lounge, past the large TV hooked up with a Xbox One and Wii U, the foosball table, pool table, arcade games even a candy claw machine. Oh and there’s usually a few Razor scooters sitting around in there too. They’re not used as much as you’d think. While they make getting to meetings more fun, it’s incredibly difficult to ride one with a laptop in hand. Still, it’s not uncommon to see a VP challenging others to race around the office on Friday afternoons. It’s a fun environment to work in, and surprisingly productive.
Multiple computer monitors sit on each desk, and not much else. It’s a tech startup, so there’s rarely a need to actually write. A few weeks after I started, we were asked to bring a pen and paper to a meeting. I had to ask to borrow a pen; it was like being in high school again. Overconfident, underprepared.
Oh, and the pen and paper weren’t even needed directly for work – just for a quick game after our weekly team meeting. We usually play a quick 10 minute game of Pictionary, Hangman or Heads Up but we mixed it up that day. Whoever loses the game has to take notes the following week, but they also get to choose the game for the next meeting.
Outside of the games, we did get a lot of work done. Our 13 entertainment websites were viewed by over 120 million unique users each month, generating 600 million monthly page views and over 4 billion monthly ad impressions.
Did you notice the change of tense in that last paragraph? It was intentional. That was my life at a tech startup, and now I’m on my way to my next challenge.
Last week I was asked to join the CEO in a small conference room. He explained that layoffs were needed, and unfortunately, it was my last day with Gateway Media.
This isn’t a shame on them post. The digital publishing industry is tough, and that can clearly be seen through similar stories in recent months. Mashable, BuzzFeed, Gawker, Huffington Post and many others have also had to make tough decisions and change their strategy to maintain success.
The leadership at Gateway Media has a record of being extraordinarily talented at identifying new trends and opportunities for growth. Yet sometimes layoffs are still unavoidable. Sometimes a new direction is needed, and the company has to limit risk and be flexible during a transition. That’s business, that’s startups, that’s life. (This is my opinion, not anyone else’s.)
Working at Gateway Media was a great experience. I had the opportunity to learn a lot, test my knowledge and work alongside some unbelievably talented coworkers. I left with no ill will towards anyone and I truly hope to see Gateway Media continue to succeed.
Life Goal:
Work at a tech startup.
Thank you, Gateway.