Navigating the Unknown: How to Handle Undefined Roles in Startups

(Read time 5 min 46 sec)

You found a startup that seems like a goldmine.

The team is incredible.

The founder has a vision… and you believe in it.

You use the product and can’t wait to tell your friends about it.

You can see yourself killing it there.

But wait - something is making you uneasy.

When it comes time for the offer, the job description is vague or missing entirely.

Now what?

The Reality of Startup Job Descriptions

After Uber, I ran operations for a Y-Combinator same-day grocery delivery startup from 2020 through 2022.

That same company is now an AI employee engagement software company (let that sink in for a second).

That’s an extreme example, but it illustrates the evolving nature of startups.

It’s a guarantee in a startup that strategies will change.

It’s a guarantee in a startup that you’ll be asked to do things you have never done before.

And, from my experience, it’s a guarantee you’ll be asked to do something outside your job description.

That’s expected, and you should be okay with that as long as it’s reasonable and there’s a clear rationale for doing it.

In a startup, there is no such thing as “that’s not my job.”

The success of your equity in the company is tied to the company's success, so the company’s success is everyone’s job.

And if you did your job hunt correctly, you’re targeting companies where you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and do what it takes to make it successful because you believe in the product and are excited about its impact on the world.

Was it explicitly stated in my Uber Operations Manager job description that I would be expected to spend a few weeks in the Mets Stadium parking lot physically inspecting thousands of vehicles in the Uber NYC fleet to ensure they were up to quality standards?

Of course not (you can see the early Uber Ops Manager JD here).

However, that task aligned with the general expectations made clear during the interview process.

Specific task ambiguity is okay.

Having no idea what you’ll be expected to do, what success looks like, or how it plays into the company's overall strategy is not okay.

Meredith’s Playbook: Be the CEO of Your Own Role

Meredith, a member of the UpEmployment Accelerator, took what could have been a mess and turned it into a masterpiece.

With 13 years of experience in the real estate and prop-tech world, Meredith was looking for a role where she would be able to lead the go-to-market strategy for a prop-tech product she believed in.

After connecting with a prop-tech founder through a private industry community (see the importance of networking and community?) the founders gave her the offer to lead the development and expansion of the product in the US.

She loved the team, believed in the product, and the stated opportunity matched precisely what she was looking for.

The only problem was… there was no job description.

This would make some people back away quickly, but not Meredith.

In her response to the CEO’s offer letter, she emphasized the importance of an agreed-upon job description to ensure they were aligned on responsibilities and priorities for the role.

But she didn’t just share that an agreed-upon job description was important…

She created her own job description based on what she knew about the company, the role, and similar roles at other companies and included it as an attached document.

The job description included specific job-related tasks, but it also included an expressly stated reporting line directly to the founder and clear performance indicators to ensure she knew what success looked like.

The founder’s response?

100% alignment and appreciation for the detail and effort to set the position up for success.

Key Takeaways

1. No Job Description? No Problem: Without a job description, it is your opportunity to craft one yourself. Write what you think the role should be. Make sure to include details about any areas that would make you uneasy. Then, send it to the hiring manager to get alignment and agreement. Highlight the importance of alignment to ensure your success and the company’s success.

2. KPI’s Aren’t Optional: It’s critical to understand what success looks like. Don’t leave it up to chance. Define your metrics upfront, or be prepared to be measured by someone else’s.

Stephen’s Tale: Know When to Fold ‘Em

Next up, meet Stephen.

Stephen is another member of the UpEmployment Accelerator Community.

He has almost two decades of experience managing large teams (we’re talking 100-300+ people) in high-growth (400% annual growth), high-volume (>$20 million per year), and highly physical operational businesses.

He was hunting to land an operations management role at a well-funded startup where he could lead the rollout and continuous operation of a new industry-disrupting product.

Shortly after his UpEmployment LinkedIn profile optimization, Stephen received inbound from a headhunter for a role that sounded perfect for him, his career goals, and his previous experience.

Initial conversations with the team went great.

He spoke to the founders and investors and did two on-site visits to make sure he understood the operational complexities of the business.

Then, came time for the offer.

Up until this point the title, role, and responsibilities had been very loose.

The team knew they needed help operationally but exactly what they needed help with was a little unclear.

That was part of the reason why they needed to hire this operational expert.

When Stephen jumped on the phone with the founder to talk about the offer things started to become a little less desirable.

The title changed from a Director role with a relatively clear scope to a Head Of role with an undefined set of targets and responsibilities.

So Stephen dug in and asked what he’d be expected to do in the role and how they envisioned that role-playing into the overall company strategy.

The founder didn’t provide a clear answer.

Lots of, “We’ll know the projects you’ll be in charge of as they arise.”

While previously excited about the opportunity for the role, the inability of the leadership to clearly define what he would be doing and their lack of commitment to his desired scope, plus some other red flags that I’ll highlight in a future post changed his opinion.

His gut told him that this wasn’t the right opportunity so he graciously turned down the offer.

Key Takeaways

1. Unclear Answers = Unclear Role: If the team can’t tell you what you’ll do, they don’t know either. This can lead to dissatisfaction on both sides, a toxic working relationship, an early exit from the company, or all of the above.

2. Trust Your Gut: At the end of the day, it’s your career. Own your decision and do what feels best for your goals and how you work best.

The Ambiguous Job Description Checklist

So, what should you be looking for to feel comfortable entering your next startup role with an ambiguous or non-existant job description?

Here is a checklist I recommend:

• What’s a Day in the Life? Do you understand what you are expected to do daily? Get specifics. No one wants to be a glorified errand-runner.

• Who’s The Boss? Do you understand who you will be reporting to? Make sure this is clear. If it’s not your head will be spinning.

• How Do We Measure Success? Do you understand how you will be measured and what success looks like? If you don’t know, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

• Can We Do a 30/60/90? Put your performance review on the table day one. This will ensure all of the above are revisited and adjusted as things change.

There you have it: startup roles without job descriptions can be like a Wild West shootout.

High risk, high reward.

Make it an adventure you control by asking the right questions and setting your terms.

Been in this situation? Got a war story to share?

Send me an email or LinkedIn DM and maybe we’ll feature it in a future edition.

But until then… let’s become career champions together 🏆

Kyle

Hiring Season Is Here - Are You Ready?

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That’s just a little over two months!

Don’t leave your job hunt up to chance.

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