{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Non-Founder Crew","title":"Building a Startup From Zero: Nicole Zartarian on Being Employee One and Owning Growth ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1793,"description":"Building a startup from the earliest stages (think employee #1 and up) requires a specific mindset and approach to work. Often, there’s a lack of processes to guide you, a lack of clarity on roles, and minimal teammates to rely on and fall back on. The only given is a relentless pursuit of growth. \nEarly employees have to learn how to create processes, identify business opportunities, and take ownership of problems before they are assigned, while also learning to advocate for fair compensation and equity for themselves.\nIn this episode, I sit down with Nicole Zartarian, who has been an early-stage product leader and employee #1 at a healthcare startup. Nicole shares all that she learned while helping build a company from the earliest days into a flourishing business with a growing team. Nicole shares how she developed the ability to operate without a roadmap, learned the ropes from technical teams thanks to her innate curiosity, and turned uncertainty into an opportunity to build new skills.\nWe’ll explore how early employees can grow by becoming self-directed, why documenting your work is essential when moving into higher-impact roles, and how letting go of ownership can create space for tackling bigger challenges. \nWe also discuss how parenthood changed Nicole’s approach to prioritization and boundaries, and why early employees have a unique opportunity to influence company culture, policies, and the way teams work together.\nHighlights:[00:00] Intro[01:14] Starting as Employee #1 with No Office and Vague Job Title[02:28] Self-Direction: Figuring Out What to Do When No One Tells You[04:00] Negotiating Equity Early with Help from a Trusted Mentor[07:13] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Through Patient Teachers[10:47] Building Like Legos: The Joy of Creating from Scratch[11:06] Giving Away Your Legos: Delegating Without Losing Your Mind[14:13] Staying Adaptable Through Constant Change and New Hires[16:38] Balancing Parenthood with Startup Ambition[23:11] Creating...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/X5eJl5gXkQPWZWasOsAoEUdbngI9rSxkdQ3eju9RHXg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85NTg1/NWJjMDFlYTdlOTIw/M2Q4OGI3OWVmMGU5/MDA0Mi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}