Innovating fast - great if you are made for it
Pros
At Agoda, we have tremendous freedom to innovate. Decisions can be made at any level, as long as you involve those who are affected by your changes. Many people take on new roles and responsibilities flexibly over time; job titles do not mean much. People are very collaborative and willing to give new things a try. What surprised me most when I first started is the permission to give things a go and then get lots of feedback and change things while they are running. It's very collaborative. Having measurements at hand to quickly find out what works for customers helps of course. That does not mean that there are no differences of opinion, but focusing on trying out and improving continuously makes for an energising and stimulating environment. The flexibility in taking on new roles also means that careers can take interesting twists. I've seen several people start new activities and getting a team to follow their lead. There are things to learn in terms of technology, management skills, leadership, working with partners and customers, and running projects. Because of the impressive people we've attracted there are many people around to observe and learn from. You can also build a real part of the business.
Cons
The fast pace of change implies that things change around you all the time. While that sounds attractive, some people are taken by surprise. It also means needing to speak up and building relationships to make change happen. It won't be given to you on a platter. We sometimes rush into things without asking all the important questions upfront, but the try it and fix it approach also has benefits. We also grow so fast that there are always many people who are new. Many things are not documented and require finding out who knows what.
