High-Growth Companies Hiring New Grads

As I walked to my desk at Angie’s List this morning, I asked about everyone’s weekend. Several of my young coworkers replied “boring”.  As I downed my 3^rd cup of coffee and burned through my emails, I reflected on how my friends in the fellowship had spent their weekends. Many had gathered at the Broad Ripple Kilroys on Friday night to support fellow Ashton Chaffee and watch Coat Chex make its debut on "Shark Tank!" On Saturday, fellows filed through our apartment in preparation for the final concert of our MegaTicket summer. Some spent Sunday at work, some continued triathalon or marathon training, some went to church, likely everyone caught at least a snipit of NFL Sunday.  Everyone did something. There is simply no time for boredom during the fellowship.

I left Angie’s List this evening and headed straight to the Speakeasy to participate in the Informatics course with board member Mark Hill. When I arrived, our Fellow Development committee was well into an enthusiastic meeting, planning out career/personal development activities for the year. 

David Becker, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and DePauw University alumni  joined us for the evening.  Mr. Becker is most currently running First Internet Bank, RICs  Software and  DyKnow, as well as investing in several entreprenuerail companies in Indianapolis. He joked that every time he gets “bored”, he buys a new company. David’s advice to us is to dive into the industry and learn the business before starting your own. If you think you want to start a restaurant, wait tables for a few months. As I looked around the room, I took note of each individual’s responsibilities within the fellowship. While I work in operations for Angie’s List, I get experience in finance through the fellowship. Many involved in recruitment work in technical position from 8-5, yet get Human Resources experiences through the fellowship, and all Fellows are exposed to the nonprofit sector through networking and service opportunities.

David later emphasized babysitting as the true test of an entrepreneur.  He explained that running a high-growth start-up is just like babysitting: you think you are walking into a house of low-maintenance, well behaved, children, and in a matter of minutes the baby is crying, the older brothers are wrestling on the carpet, and the neighbor’s dog has made it inside and is shredding the couch cushions. David’s solution to this dilemma is to hire the right people.  He has never written a line of code in his life, yet he is dominating the tech sector in Indianapolis. He recognized his skill for marketing and sales early on in life and hired the best coders, customer service and organizational employees he could find. As I scanned the room, I quickly recognized the variety in my surroundings. Some fellows are very analytical, some very creative, some technical, some humanitarian. It is astounding how well the skillsets in this group complement one another.  David prides himself on the number of his former employees that have since started their own businesses.

I recognized that I was amidst a golden opportunity at this very moment. The fellowship offers the opportunity to explore a distinguished post-grad job 40 hours a week, helps develop professional skills through Fellowship responsibilities, and grants unlimited access to an extremely high energy peer network.

Tomorrow, I will attend our monthly meeting; Wednesday I may grab a bike ride and a beer with Katie Hayes and Molly Sender; Thursday I will finalize the details of an event I am planning for work; and the weekend will arrive before I have had time to take a breath, let alone time for boredom.

In the financial world, the term "alpha" is meant to signify a measure of performance that is adjusted for risk.  But how do we measure risk in the real world?  Are some entry-level jobs in start-ups more or less risky than others?  How can we know when we've found a winner, that coveted "diamond in the ruff"?


Some may say that it is nearly impossible to assess the risks of any new venture considering the volatility of markets, the unpredictable nature of competition, and the influence of shear luck and ingenuity.  While some of that may be true, there are certainly places that have been historically more successful than others: the Silicon Valley specifically.  But for the last decade or more, the Valley has seen stiff competition, with distinguished post-grad jobs popping up across the nation (and the world). 

I would argue that Indiana is one of the places most suited for companies hiring new grads to establish their roots: our cost of living is significantly lower than other states; our central location within the US places almost any major city within a day's drive; and Indiana has managed to keep its state and local government budgets contained while others have moved even closer to bankruptcy.

And these advantages have not gone unnoticed by the entrepreneurial community:  Start-Up Indiana is focused on developing high-growth start-ups in the region; Indianapolis now has its own start-up newsletter, Startup Digest, a free service helping entrepreneurs find events that might peak their interests; and the Orr Fellowship which is aimed at finding and growing tomorrows business leaders through placement in entry-level positions in entrepreneurial companies.  All of these initiatives are great examples of organizations driving jobs and opportunity within Indiana and sewing the seeds of growth and fortune.


So when thinking about how to evaluate job opportunities, remember to find those places that minimize the risk of failure and maximize the chances of success.  Look to the local community and their support for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.  Ask questions.  Seek  guidance.  And most importantly, do all you can to maximize the alpha in your life and career.

About this time last year, I was winding down my summer job and gearing up for my last year of college at Indiana Wesleyan University.  Like most college seniors, one thought came up over and over again in mind:

What am I going to do after I graduate???

Fast-forward twelve months and not only have I settled down in a new job, but I have been exposed to opportunities that I never thought I would be this early out of college.  I was able to get this job through the Orr Fellowship, an organization dedicated to the development and retention of Indiana students and natives.  The fellowship seeks to match college graduates with high-growth companies in Indiana.  I was fortunate enough to be hired on at Compendium, one of many entrepreneurial companies in the Indianapolis area.

Since the start of my job two months ago I have been exposed to many different areas within Compendium that a normal entry-level job may not provide.  The accessibility to executives within your company and the hands on experience that I've gotten in just two months has been both exciting and a great opportunity to learn.  

Not only do you get a great job with one of the fast growing Indianapolis companies when you are in the fellowship, but you get to go through the fellowship with several other recent graduates just like you.  I have developed good friendships with several people in the fellowship and it has given me an instant network of recent grads in an area where I would not have had that big of a network without it.

So if you are about to head back to school for your senior year like I was twelve months ago right now wondering how you are going to find a job and what you are going to be doing, be sure to consider the Orr Fellowship.  The opportunity to work at high growth start-ups along with the instant network of friends your age is a tough combination to beat.

In celebration of the holiday season, @allythill scheduled lunch for the Fellows at a restaurant in downtown Indianapolis. @hunckler and I showed up late, but we probably both wish we hadn't shown up at all. It was a bad dining experience.

12 minutes to get a drink
30 minutes before the food order was taken
50 minutes before the food was served
75 minutes before bills were delivered

On the bright side, I had some time to chat with @YawA about @PocketTales launching their new web app and how he's making the jump from his distinguished post-grad job to an entrepreneurship career. Takes a lot of moxy.

My mind already operates at warp speed. Things jump in my head before I finish a thought. Mitchell Davis and I would be too much to handle. On this particular day of bad service at a restaurant which also had bad food, my mind was racing to find a connection between high growth start-ups (like @PocketTales) and this waiter who seemed to be wasting everyone's time.

Aha moment!

Restaurants give the slow shift to the slow wait staff. Monday is typically the slowest day of the week and lunch is the slowest serving of the day. Since we went on the slowest day during the slowest meal, the odds were against the @orrfellowship having a good service experience. More to the point, while good work is rewarded with accolade, bad work is rewarded with defrocking.

High-growth Indianapolis companies do not like having to defrock their employees due to poor performance. Some of the best places to work in Indiana see applicants present a positive version of themselves during the interview process, but entrepreneurship careers quickly peel away any misperceptions that may have existed after that good interview took place.

The bad news for some on the job market is that many of these startups cannot afford to pay for the 'Monday lunch shift' person. @orrfellowship host companies need good work from talented people NOW; they need the 'Friday dinner shift' person, because every day is like the Friday dinner rush for companies hiring new grads.

Be the 'Friday dinner rush' person today.

This video surfaced last week from Chow.com, a food and recipe site. I found myself at work watching John, the proprietor of Galcos Soda Pop Stop based in Los Angeles, walk me through his store and serendipitously bring me into his world of 'bubbly water'. Aside from his addictive personality, one can't help but be fascinated by the sheer volume of knowledge the man possesses about everything from rose petal flavored soda to his worldwide business development pipeline. It's always refreshing to hear and see someone who genuinely loves what they're doing.

When I watched the video, I couldn't help but think of entry-level jobs in Indiana. Entry Level Careers are often sought by people who want to make a lot of money, manage a team of employees, and take the elevator straight to the corner office. Most fast paced jobs offer entrepreneurially minded young people the chance to win many of those responsibilities. However, high-growth company jobs, and many other entry-level jobs in Indianapolis are about one thing: passion for doing good work. Companies hiring new grads need talent, but more importantly they need passionate talent. One sure-fire result of being passionate about your career is knowing your business inside and out. Jobs at a small company require that everyone contribute, and companies hiring new grads will open their doors to people who are willing to enter a business career in Indianapolis with a fervor for knowledge, hard work, and dedication.

The shipping is expensive, but I'm looking forward to my cucumber soda shipping in from California this week. Case-in-point right there...John was so passionate in his video that I actually ordered a case of cucumber soda. Imagine the possibilities if you began your business job in Indianapolis with that kind of passion...