Add IT Resources and Find Partners Deliberately, Not Reactively
As industry watchers and analysts keep an eye on how artificial intelligence continues to impact the Software as a Service space, it’s important for high-growth startups to be discerning about the solutions they rely on.
Review what’s currently in your software portfolio first: You may be pleasantly surprised to find that you can build out from what you currently use. It may not be the most top-tier solution, but at least you can start from one toolset instead of five.
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As your business grows, you may also want to consider where a strategic partnership can be most useful. If a startup has more than 10 job openings, and most of the roles are remote, that’s usually a sign that IT complexity is growing. Are these remote roles being managed properly? How is equipment being shipped to the new hires? Are they working in the same stack? I’ve met with companies where one side says they have a process for 20 new hires and another side says they were told only five new hires needed to be onboarded. That disconnect can really hamper operations.
That series A to series B move tends to be the biggest flare up that signals to me a startup’s growth is picking up steam, and company leaders may start to bring things in house.
Startup Security Compliance Is Within Reach
I’ve spoken with company leaders who are trying to secure government contracts and need to follow the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and other associated compliance and security frameworks. That may seem like a massive undertaking, but again, you may find many of the solutions that are already in your stack can be easily reconfigured because they have certain compliance measures built in.
If you do need an outside partner to help, you can seek a shorter time frame that will get you set up in a quarter or two rather than a year, so your company is ready for the long haul.
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My team at CDW, for example, can use our resources to help your company find ways to save money and augment where needed. We want to see your startup go from an angel investor of $100,000 to IPO and beyond. We have the expertise to rightsize your technology stack, and as you grow, we can adapt even if you expand globally. We can be as agile as you are as a startup, making sure your CFO is satisfied and your CEO doesn’t have to be pulled into so many meetings. That way, your team can stay focused on goals that make the company profitable rather than struggling to keep the lights on and building things on the fly.
The bottom line is, don’t try to cut corners where you don’t need to. That can have a serious impact down the line if you don’t do things correctly. Stay agile by taking mindful measures that keep security and compliance in lockstep with your growth.
This article is part of BizTech's AgilITy blog series.
