Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothes - Anonymous employee Sharpen Employee Review

Hello Anonymous, I wanted to follow up with you regarding your review. Sharpen is constantly striving to be the best and set ourselves apart. So in a sense, we are kind of like a “wolf” in that we are hungry to be the best, strong to never give up, and are in fact trying to set ourselves apart from other “sheep” in our industry. Starting a business is tough and risky. Sharpen has taken time to identify and address difficult decisions, and has put a lot of hard work and dedication into all aspects of the business. From determining who to hire to innovating on our product, we have survived and will continue to push until we thrive. We are nowhere near perfect but we believe in our team’s abilities and appreciate the fact that they do their best work, not just “believe that they are doing their best work.” Have you ever read “A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs: Understanding Differences in the Types of Entrepreneurship in the Economy”? It is a good read to check out before considering a career with a group like ours. The article does a great job of summarizing why innovative-driven enterprises, or IDEs, have a lot on the line and have to push forward continually as opposed to operating under the more traditional business ideas/models. Please check it out and hopefully it helps to better paint the picture of decisions made in an IDE environment. This all said, I can absolutely relate to being in this situation. I was a “former employee” myself, and I know it can be tough leaving because I lived it too. Whether you make the decision to leave or the decision is made for you, it is a hard thing to go through. I left Sharpen (at the time Fathom) a couple years ago. But as time went on, I felt I made a mistake. I wanted to return for multiple reasons but here are the most important to me: Sharpen has incredible potential to be big, and who doesn’t want to be a part of the next big thing? I wanted to get back with a company where I had the freedom to do my best work and have my opinions be heard. Now, that doesn’t mean they always are executed on but I am able to voice them and understand the decision behind it. I know there are (and will be more) times when I am pushed to my limit and I may hate it in that moment, but ultimately my work is needed. I am valuable and it is worth it. And probably the most important….the people that Sharpen has secured and retained. The existing team is fantastic and additionally the leadership talent Sharpen has brought in over the last 6 months are impressive. In operations, finance, sales, and marketing, there have been some HUGE wins for the team and I knew in joining them, I would learn an incredible amount and help grow Sharpen even more. I am sorry our opportunity wasn’t right for you but for others that see the value, like I did, it is. I am confident you will do well wherever you end up and wish you the best. Sincerely, HR Director Sharpen