New Year New Role
I took a big leap to move to Mexico City in 2019. Despite having zero connections there and not knowing any Spanish, I moved to join one of the best VC mentors (ALLVP) I could ever have found for the Latin American market.
And now what? I moved again? 🤪
Yes I did! 11 February 2020 marks my second anniversary in Mexico City, and in this post, I’m announcing that I’ve done it again. This move, this change, however, was not ruled by my typical habits of overanalyzing (pros and cons situation), over-contemplating or foreplanning. All it took to make this decision was a 10 a.m. coffee meeting on a Sunday with the founder of a startup, around the tail end of last year. The meeting took a funny turn, because I ended up pitching myself to him — where I could add value and that kind of thing — and we realized my vision was somehow quite aligned with his.
The startup here is Meru, a B2B wholesale marketplace built for Mexico and soon for Latin America — and as of December 2020, I’ve officially joined as Chief of Staff!
I mean, I could have announced this simply by updating my LinkedIn status, but why go to the trouble of a Medium post. Thanks to you dear friend, Lucy Luo, I was inspired after our overdue catch-up call (4 p.m. CST my time on a Sunday), hearing the similarities and challenges we’re going through to write this. And for anyone who’s ever curious about what exactly a Chief of Staff (CoS) role in a startup entails, here you go:
CoS Origin
The CoS role dates back centuries and first originated in the military and government. But, in the last two to three decades, tech startups (particularly those first from Silicon Valley) have adapted the role and created different iterations of what it should be. And the rest of the world is gradually embracing it too.
Here’s my rendition of a typical day or workload for a Chief of Staff at a Seed/Pre-Series A startup — doing everything but to claim nothing. (I’m not even worried if my founders read this, because it is exactly what it is at times.)
Over the last three months as Chief of Staff, here’s a short list (not including all) that has kept me busy:
● Brainstorming growth strategies and company direction with the founding team (think late nights, long whiteboard sessions).
● Having jostled myself into our rock star Sales team, I’m practicing pitching what Meru does and offers, and occasionally answering inquiries (yes, in Spanish). The more wehear from our customers, the better we understand why we build at Meru.
● Providing administrative support to our sourcing team in China, like preparing sourcing briefs, and assisting in the final pricing (i.e. the quotation process for our team in Mexico).
● Due Diligence, the never-ending DDs with our investors. (I’m joking, I do enjoy this part but it is time consuming.) But hey, tables are turned these days! 😆
● Helping to launch and monitor our digital marketing campaigns as the Stand-in Performance Marketer.
● Working alongside our Chief Growth/Product Officer, one of the hardest workers in the company, to support him on data and research, and as additional manpower. Product is really fun. I’m so pleased and honoured to be part of this process.
● Defining workflows and processes with department heads; we constantly evaluate opportunities for automation to increase team and individual efficiencies.
● Attending to administrative matters that range from account setup applications to all the little knickknacks.
● Taking part in many meetings with the CEO, to keep track of our external partnerships, communications with investors, and also internal company communications.
● Talent hunting, something I admit isn’t a strength at the moment. Finding talent is really hard! Really, really hard. And we are always hiring, so if you’re interested to learn more, feel free to reach out.
And the list keepings growing, changing and evolving. And likewise about myself — I am learning, adapting and evolving too! The startup is now six months old, and in my new role in these early stages, I am learning to believe, to try, to make mistakes, to ask for help and to embrace whatever is ahead of us.
Before becoming Chief of Staff at Meru, I wasn’t too sure what type of startup role would suit me. But I’ve always known myself to be more a generalist than a specialist, kind of like the trademark brand, WD-40, a water-displacing spray known for silencing squeaks, preventing rust and loosening stuck parts — literally helping make things work better. I feel grateful and lucky that since joining Meru, everyone on the team has been very welcoming. And at the same time, I’ve been given a wide blank canvas for myself and others to paint on in ways that help others and the company as a whole.
Making changes, taking risks… I know they are tough and I had real struggles with them too. I remember seeking out Vinnie Lauria for his opinion about joining the startup life, and he offered me the advice someone gave him before his move to Asia:
“If you take the jump, the net appears”
Are you based in Latin America with a story to tell? Or are you looking for encouragement on what your next move shall be? Hit me to chat and let’s see where it goes.