I’ve always found the inner workings of how to run and grow a business exciting. My first job out of college was at Yammer. I worked in sales and that’s where I first met one of Mozart’s co-founders, Peter Fishman (who we all call “Fish”). After we were acquired by Microsoft, I decided to take a year off to travel and ultimately attend culinary school. I worked in food photography for a few years in a freelance capacity, but found myself yearning for more security and stability, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fish posted in a Facebook Group for former employees at Yammer about an opening at his new venture, Mozart Data. The group itself is a testament to his ability to build a close-knit team that wants to keep in touch even after they leave, and I knew I had to apply.
The role I applied for (and currently hold) is People Operations. During my time at Yammer (and a few personal assistant gigs in between), I developed strategies to stay organized and keep myself and others on track. I knew I had a natural skillset in organizing teams, building community, and keeping everyone aligned. When I got the offer, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Fish again and build something from the ground up.
Here are three more reasons joining MD was the right move:
A Close-Knit, Authentic Team
As stated earlier, I know that we really value everyone on the team, and want to make sure that folks have everything they need to be productive and fulfilled at work. I knew Fish built teams like this after working with him at Yammer, but it’s even more magnified since we’re a small group (right now!)
Working at a startup comes with risks, and I truly believe that both Fish and Dan, our other co-founder, have the employee’s best interest in mind. It’s even one of our values: “Employees first.” They want the company to be successful, not just because they want to create the next unicorn, but because they care and value our individual professional success and ability to grow.
The kind of culture the first 50 employees create sets the tone for the future. I’m really proud of what we’ve built at Mozart, especially given the fact that we are a remote-first company. Here are a few highlights:
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One of our teammates had to have surgery, and we sent him Jeni’s Ice Cream to aid in his recovery 🙂
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Birthday presents, swag and monthly group activities, all-company off-sites
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Donut chats in Slack where we pair folks from different departments to chat about things that aren’t work-related
Additionally, our founders value making sure our needs are met and prioritized. We offer:
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401K matching, which is pretty rare for a startup in its early stages
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99% medical coverage, including dependents
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Unlimited PTO – and we highly encourage folks to use it. We know mental health days are necessary for everyone so we don’t burn out.
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Comfortable home-office setup
They’re Solving an Interesting Problem
Data can be incredibly hard to understand, and Mozart Data offers a world-class modern data stack that empowers teams to easily, organize and analyze their data without engineering resources. It’s the fastest way to set up reliable data infrastructure.
Maintaining trustworthy data gives business leaders confidence in their team’s reports and analyses, and enables them to make strategic, data-driven decisions.
The Ability to Make a Huge Impact
When I worked at Yammer, we grew to a 250 person team. Workflows were more established, and we had clearly defined roles and departments. I knew there was a set structure and protocol to how problems were solved and goals accomplished. Mozart presented an exciting opportunity to create those structures, and answer questions like:
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What do we want this to look like in 3-5 years?
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How do we shape that?
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Whose advice/feedback do we want to take?
I know that these are vital learning opportunities I wouldn’t have in a more bureaucratic environment. Every day feels pivotal, and we’re always striving to be more efficient in our systems in order to make sure we’re providing the best experience for our customers when using our product.
Today, I’m proud to say Mozart Data has grown to 24 full-time team members. Day-to-day, I’m working directly with the founders, helping new teammates get onboarded and ready to go on their first day, aiding in the interview process, hiring new candidates, and managing payroll and benefits. Additionally, I also plan monthly virtual company bonding events, like game nights or Vietnamese coffee making classes. We like to switch it up!
For those interested in making the jump into the startup world, I hope you’ll consider Mozart Data in your search. If you have any questions about my experience or more questions about the company, I’d love to connect and hear about your story!
If you’re curious about Mozart Data, learn more about our offerings here.
If you want to contact me, feel free to message me through LinkedIn!
