Growing as a Founding Team Member: Lessons from 6+ Years at SignDesk

The Early Days: Building from Zero

Joining as a founding team member meant there were no established processes. No documentation. No "this is how we do things here."

What we had:

Wearing Multiple Hats

In a startup, job titles are suggestions. As QA Lead, I was also:

Growing Through the Stages

Startups go through distinct phases, and each requires different skills:

Seed Stage (2017-2018):

Focus on proving the product works. As QA Lead, ensuring quality was existential — one bad release could lose our early customers.

Growth Stage (2019-2022):

Focus on scaling what works. As Senior PM, I learned to balance feature development with technical debt, customer requests with strategic priorities.

Scale Stage (2024+):

Focus on optimization and expansion. As Associate Director, the challenges are about org design, team building, and long-term vision.

The skills that made me successful at each stage were different. Adaptability became essential.

What I'd Tell Aspiring Founding Team Members

If you're considering joining an early-stage startup:

1. Choose the problem, not the title

Your role will evolve. The problem space is what you'll live with. Make sure it's something you genuinely care about.

2. Embrace the ambiguity

There won't be clear answers. You'll make decisions with incomplete information. Get comfortable with uncertainty.

3. Build relationships

In a small team, relationships matter more than processes. Trust with co-founders and early colleagues will carry you through hard times.

4. Document as you go

Future you (and future teammates) will thank present you for writing things down. Even rough documentation beats none.

The Reward

Six years later, I can look at Melento and see my fingerprints everywhere — in processes, in product decisions, in how we think about quality. That sense of ownership is the reward of growing with a company from the ground up.

Not everyone gets to see their impact so directly. It's a privilege I don't take for granted.