Startup Solidarity
We often hear about how the startup world is different – about how it’s less zero-sum and more communal than other industries. Recently I had the (mis)fortune to experience this first hand.
Last year, my startup Amicus nearly died. Running out of cash, we needed to find a way to cut every cost possible. We had to let go of some amazing people, cancelled every non-essential service and perk, and asked companies for free months and refunds for time when our usage hadn’t been as high as expected.
Some companies said no. Others bent over backwards to help us survive. Some gave deep discounts, others free months, and some even refunded us for past months when our usage didn’t match the plan we were on.
I have trouble imagining companies like Comcast or Bank of America or ADP giving refunds and discounts when they’re not contractually obligated to, just to help a struggling startup push through rough times. And yet a dozen startups for whom every dollar is often important jumped at the opportunity to help.
Without the support of these companies, we might not have been able to survive. So to all of them, thank you. Not only do they offer products that we appreciate at Amicus, but I can attest that they’ll be there for you when you need them most. These startups truly care about their customers.
And thanks also to these individuals:
Bill Schnoor at Goodwin Procter for being exceptionally accommodating with fees; Pedro Torres-Picón at Quotidian Ventures / qLabs for giving us free office space; and Chris DeMayo at Withum Smith & Brown for digging us out of a messy tax situation while keeping costs low.
I hope those of you reading this seriously consider giving these companies your business.
Thanks to Ela Madej for reading a draft of this post