As a Type 1 Diabetic of 22 years, one of my biggest worries when traveling abroad is getting sick. Fortunately, I have not needed to visit a doctor when traveling to another country, until this September. From 9/21–10/11 I was on a work trip for Lime. I set a pretty crazy schedule that required 9 flights, 6 cities, 5 countries, and 1 doctor visit.

It all started when I was in Paris. No matter where I travel in the world I use a carry on for my luggage. Usually, I do laundry halfway through the trip and this time it was no different. Trying to translate a french laundry machine, late at night, while you are suffering from a bad cold and on cold meds, was not ideal, but I made it work.

To my surprise, I opened up the machine and it both washed and dried my clothes. United States, what are we doing? We need this! Another surprise is that my Novolog insulin, which I store in my pocket via a FlexPen, was inside. I immediately knew this was an issue since insulin needs to be stored at a certain temperature. I started to read online that it won’t harm me, but the efficacy will be lowered exponentially. This is not a risk I was willing to take.

So what do you do when you are a Type 1 Diabetic, now won’t have enough insulin to cover the duration of your trip, and you need insulin to survive? I emailed my doctor and he said he couldn’t help and that I should see a doctor in Europe to get a new prescription. Great. How? Now I started to plot out an idea that should never be considered: can I make the rest of my other insulin pen last the rest of the trip? Eating healthier would mean less insulin and less insulin means I would not need another pen of insulin.

Don’t do that. Go see a doctor. If I were visiting the US I imagine it would be a nightmare due to our healthcare system. But honestly, Europe was easy and I hope that reading this blog will clear up any anxiety you might have about visiting a doctor while traveling because it was really easy.

Making the Call

Since I had 4–5 days left of insulin I did not have to rush, but I had to have a plan. Since it was a business trip I contacted our benefits team and they connected me with our insurance provider. They told me the best place to visit as an American since I would pay out of pocket and then file for reimbursement. I also checked with my insurance in the US and they had a few doctors they recommended, but it was a select few and it was the night time so it would have been a bit more complicated to visit the correct doctor. Plus, it was uncertain how much the insurance would cover.

October 4th, on a Friday, was the day I chose to visit a doctor. I would be in Munich for a team offsite and it was the most chill day of the week for me workwise. Initially, I woke up ready to get some insulin so I did not have to stress about it. Then, my cold took a turn for the worse and I was in really rough shape. Coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, heart rate 100+ while sitting and doing nothing, no appetite, and extreme fatigue.

The Visit

Well, now my plan had pivoted to take care of both. I ended up resting during the day and heading to the doctor in the evening. The doctor was cash only so I ran to a nearby ATM and grabbed 100 euros, as I was told the appointment would cost between 50–100 euros. The office was organized by specialist and fortunately, my doctor did not have a wait and I was seen within 5 minutes of sitting down.

The doctor first asked me if I preferred English or German and I jokingly said, “English please.” She had a nurse by her side taking notes and collecting information. Within minutes of looking at my sinuses and listening to my lungs, it was clear to the doctor that I had bronchitis and a sinus infection. I was in pretty rough shape. I stated that I am happy that my symptoms led to a diagnosis but why was my heart rate so high? She recommended an EKG and found that my heart rate was abnormally high but nothing to be concerned about.

Now that I have a diagnosis and a prescription for an antibiotic, cough medicine, and insulin, it was time to pick them up.

Prescriptions

The doctor recommended a pharmacy that was about a 10-minute walk away. It was cold and I felt terrible, but I decided to tough it out. Only to find out the pharmacy was closed. I was able to find a 24-hour pharmacy and called a ridesharing service to get me there. There were a couple of people in line and there was a woman who took prescriptions through a small glass window. I was able to get the antibiotic and cough medicine, but they were out of insulin. She advised me to go in the morning to any of the larger pharmacies.

In the afternoon, I continued with my plans and was expected to take a 4.5-hour train to Zurich. At the train station, I decided to cut my trip short and decided to leave on Tuesday from Paris instead of Friday. The next few days were all about resting and trying to catch up on my health. Since I was leaving early, I no longer needed to pick up my insulin.

Overall, the office visit cost me $75.88 and the prescriptions $33.42 for a total of $108.30. I submitted them to the claims department and received the full reimbursement 30 days later. Fun fact: an EKG in Germany costs 23 euros and $2,000+ on average in the U.S.

Flying Home While Sick

In Zurich, I rested a bit but still met with teammates and walked the city — but in a very limited capacity due to my health. I arrived back in Paris on Monday morning and spent the entire day in my hotel room. I still worked and took a few calls, but for the most part, stayed warm, drank tea, a lot of water, and took it easy.

Drinking tea, eating soup, taking the German version of DayQuil, and resting, was a recipe for success. I woke up around 6 AM for my 8.5-hour flight back to NYC. It was going to be rough but I vowed to tough it through. There were a couple of tactics that made the flight less miserable:

• An aisle seat so I could get up, walk around, and use the bathroom at my leisure without bothering my seatmate
• Drinking 100+ ounces of water and 5 teas to keep my throat warm
• The German version of Dayquil to help fight off the sinus issues
• My noise-canceling headphones helped my ears not pop and I wore them for the entire duration of the flight — regardless of if I was listening to anything

Overall, the flight was manageable via these tips but for the last hour of the flight, my ears were in excruciating pain. A few minutes before landing the air pressure (no pun intended) was no longer an issue.

In Closing

In conclusion, this experience was eye-opening and put to rest any anxiety about going to a doctor while traveling internationally. In many cases, it was easier and much cheaper than going to a doctor in the United States. Unlike in the US, I was able to get great care and put my health first without worrying about being bankrupted.

Disclaimer: Brendan Barbato is an employee of Lime and his views do not represent the company and are solely his own.

About the author: Global Brand Community team at Lime, took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot’s of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

Going to a Doctor When Traveling Abroad is Actually Pretty Easy was originally published in The Startup on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Japan for the first time. I flew directly from Newark Airport to Narita International Airport — I recommend Hanada, as it is closer but either is great — which was 14.5 hours. Then, flew to San Francisco for a work trip, then back to New York City.

Below, I am including some tips I wish I knew — or knew — before visiting that I think will help ease the stress of travel and enhance your trip. First, I will include my high-level itinerary, which will eventually be filled in with a blog I write about each day. Hope you enjoy!

Itinerary:

Day 1: Land in Tokyo and Spend Time in Tokyo

Day 2: Tokyo + Robot Cafe in Shinjuku

Day 3: Mt. Fuji and Hakone Area

Day 4: Tokyo + Akihabara

Day 5: Kyoto + Illumination Shrines

Day 6: Kyoto + More Shrines

Day 7: Kyoto, Monkey Park, and Bamboo Forest

Day 8: Ito + Onsen

Day 9: Tokyo + Iwaki

Day 10: Iwaki + Tokyo

Day 11: Tokyo + Shibuya Crossing

Day 12: Tokyo + Flight to San Francisco

A JR Pass Will Ease Your Travel

In the U.S. I was able to go to the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) in New York City, but you can also have it FedEx’d to your house. It is more expensive if you buy the JR pass in Japan. There is no need for First Class seats. If you buy the ordinary pass you can go literally anywhere in Japan. You can show up on any train in the unreserved seats, or you can book a reserved seat before your trip at the station. The Shinkansen is incredible and can reach speeds as high as 200 MPH (300 KM/H). Food and drinks available for sale.

You also have access to the local trains. As long as the line starts with JR, JY, JT, JO, etc., you can show your pass at the gate and get on. However, you get your JR passes monies worth when you take the Shinkansen to places like Kyoto or Odawara (Hakone area) since it can be $100+ round trip.

Japan is Incredibly Safe

Some people have anxiety and fear about traveling abroad due to safety. Japan was easily one of the safest places I have ever visited. There’s order, little to no violence, and you should not have to worry about anything being stolen. A friend once told a story of losing his wallet and the Japanese police calling him tomorrow to return it. The only major warning I would give is to women traveling on the train during rush hour. There have been incidences of “Groping” by men. To combat this, trains have “Women Only” cars during rush hour to help eradicate this terrible act.

Tipping is Considered Rude

You are not allowed to tip in Japan. I repeat you are not allowed to tip in Japan. This is painful because it’s the best service I have ever had in my entire life. When I walked into a Ryokan hotel three men ran out from behind the counter. One person took my bag, another took my shoes and gave me slippers, while another prepared to check us in. And I can’t tip. In the US someone could throw water in your face, cook a burger that gives you food poisoning, and you still have to tip 20%. I am exaggerating but the service is night and day.

You know you want to tip but it is actually rude so please refrain. Respect Japanese culture and please do not make someone serving you feel uncomfortable because you tipped. The Japanese believe in providing the best experience and service, and trust me, they succeed. The dark side is the level of anxiety and stress that comes with perfection and insanely good service. I appreciate the level of respect the Japanese have for service, but I also am saddened by what they must feel on the inside.

Money: Get Paper Currency AND/OR a Card

You would suspect that one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world would be cashless, BUT the majority of stores ONLY accept cash. There are US chains such as Starbucks and Krispy Kreme (yum) that accept credit card, but plan to buy Japanese Yen at your local bank before traveling — or pay a fee at the airport or in Japan.

Outside of Tokyo, Kyoto, and maybe Osaka, plan to only use cash. Small, family-owned stores especially so. We bought $600 USD worth of Japanese Yen in the US and it lasted us 12 days, but we are also smart with our spending so that helped. I would get between $300-$500 per person per 7–10 days. If worst comes to worst buy some Yen in Japan.

If you do not want to carry cash buy a Pasmo or Suica card. It is used mostly for the train — so if you have a JR pass, no need — but is often used as food marts and other places. It helps alleviate the pain of carrying cash if that is a pain to you.

Eating and Drinking is Frowned upon

Eating and drinking while walking is considered rude in Japan. You will get dirty looks and for the most part, no one will say anything to you — but you will be passive-aggressively judged if you can live with that.

If you are vegetarian you probably picked the wrong country. Japan is a maritime nation and there is fish in just about everything. Maybe even in the oxygen you breathe. Well, I am vegetarian so it was difficult at times. I ate a lot of udon, vegetable tempura, soup, rice, and cream puffs for breakfast. In later blogs, I will highlight exactly what I ate and do my best to help with recommendations!

However, at food markets, you can acceptably eat or drink while walking. It is not illegal but again, is considered rude and locals will not be pleased with you.

Trash Cans — but Where?

You have a better chance of finding Waldo or Vegetarian Ramen in Japan than a trash can. Despite little to no public trash cans, Japan is incredibly clean. During my trip, I only saw public trash can twice — not counting the malls. The Japanese and foreigners — tourist — typically keep their trash with them and then distribute the trash at home among rubbish, recyclables, and compostables. Please DO NOT litter. The Japanese go to great lengths to keep their home country clean and you should respect it. After the 2018 World Cup games, some Japanese fans even cleaned the stadium in Russia. Wow. Overall, there are fewer trash cans but also less litter. Cleanliness is definitely a part of Japanese culture.

Convenience Stores Are Great

Believe it or not, the convenience stores in Japan are incredible. The two I used the most was Lawson’s and FamilyMart, but 7/11 was frequently found in Japan too. Surprising enough, their quality was great and people actually ordered food from convenience stores. Every morning I would eat cream puffs and enjoy a fruit smoothie. Convenience stores are everywhere and accept credit cards, so you are in luck.

In the US trust for quality for convenience stores is low, but I highly recommend you try food from Lawson’s or FamilyMart.

Tattoos are Taboo

I have nothing against tattoos, but many Japanese believe tattoos to be taboo. The reasoning is that tattoos were commonly associated with the yakuza, which are underground crime organizations.

Per InsideJapanTours, here are a few places where your tattoos may well be an issue: in hot springs (onsen), on beaches, at theme parks, at water parks, and in swimming pools. It is still the norm at these establishments to ban tattoos entirely, and where a ban exists you will see prominent signs informing you of it.

Take Your Shoes Off

Being invited to someone’s home in Japan is considered an honor. When entering someone’s home you must leave your shoes and the entrance, whereas, you often have slippers to wear around the home. The Japanese do not want the floor to be stained by soil, sand, or the dust on your shoes, which makes a ton of sense. It is also recommended you wear socks for hygiene reasons.

Back in the day, the Japanese had meals while sitting on the floor. Therefore, it would be unhygienic to sit where your dirty shoes have been. There are traditional Ryokan hotels where this type of arrangement exists.

All in all, please take your shoes off at the door and place them facing the door. This makes it easy for you to slip them on and head out as well — efficiency is key in Japan. If I had to emphasize one rule that would get you yelled at it, it is to please take your shoes off at the door. Then earn cultural bonus points by pointing your shoes towards the door.

Stay in a Ryokan

Ryokan traditional hotels are located all over Japan. You sleep on a futon, eat on the floor, wear a robe, and there are often public onsens located within the hotel. Up until staying in a Ryokan, I stayed with friends, in AirBnBs and other hotels. This was the first authentic Japanese hotel I stayed at before later staying in an Onsen — later in the blog series. I highly recommend you give it a try. I actually enjoyed sleeping on the futon more than my bed in the US.

Part of the experience is having a traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner served throughout the day. I will share more information later as this experience is incredible. The food is prepared upon arrival and more courses are brought out as you eat. Eating in a robe is one of the best ways to eat and I need to make it part of my daily routine.

Be Quiet

When in a public space please keep the noise down. Especially on the bus and train. You should always be mindful of the collective and conscientious. Other people come before you and you must take cooperation and what is seen as an inconvenience into mind before acting. Respect is held in the highest regard. You can talk to one another quietly, but please do not take any phone calls or talk loudly in public spaces. I only experienced this once but it was a group of high schoolers visiting from Australia and thankfully the guides helped quiet the crowd because it was uncomfortable seeing how uncomfortable the Japanese riders were.

Know a Few Phrases and Bow

If you do not speak Japanese, like me, you should at least make an effort when visiting to know a few key phrases. It is also important to bow out of respect, just as you should hand a business card with two hands then bow — but let’s save that for a blog when one day I can hopefully do business in Japan!

• Hello: Konnichiwa (Ko-nich-i-wa)
• Thank you: Arigatou gozaimasu!” (Ah-ree-ga-toe go-zai-mahss!)
• Let’s Eat (before a meal): “Itadakimasu!” (Ee-ta-da-ki-mahss!)
• Express Gratitude (after a meal): “Gochisousamadeshita!” (Go-chee-so-sa-ma-desh-ta!)
• Excuse me: Sumimasen (su-mi-ma-se-n)
• Where is ~?: ~ wa Doko Desu Ka? (Wa-doko-des-ka)
• Ikura Desu Ka? How much is it? (Ee-ku-ra-des-ka)
• I don’t understand: Wakarimasen (Wa-kar-i-ma-se-n)
• May I have ~: ~ wo Kudasai (wo-ki-da-sa-i)
• Body language: Uncross legs and arms and remove hands from pockets. Always bow to show respect, and smile!

Overall

Japan was one of the best — if not the best — countries I have visited and I am really hoping to go back for the 2020 Summer Olympics. I loved the culture, people, history, tourist spots, and how well-run the country is. Japan is incredible and I HIGHLY recommend everyone visits at some point.

If you want any tips: brendanbarbato@gmail.com

About the author: Northeast Marketing Manager at Lime, took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot’s of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

Part 0: 12 Tips Before Traveling to Japan was originally published in Mission.org on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

1. Pain is not permanent. Emotion is a key element in being human. Laughter, crying, anger, happiness, pain and so on, are all a part of life. The key to understanding pain is knowing how to balance. Pain is necessary for growth and you will become stronger after you endure it. Pain will go away and you will come out on top.
2. Your parents are learning for the first time just like you. I was the oldest child and something I didn’t realize until I was older is that my parents were parents for the first time, as I was a child for the first time and taking on the world. For the most part, your parents want what is best for you. Arguing with loved ones is a way of expressing love for those you do not want to see get hurt.
3. School is not really that important. Take this from someone who missed 150+ days of high school — mostly because of illness — and took 7 weeks in his fall and another 7 in his spring semester off from college. School is not really that important AS LONG AS you are building merit, networking, and working towards your future. Either focus on school or build merit via projects, products, research, or whatever will get you where you need to go

4. Travel, travel and then travel again. Explore the world and experience different cultures. You will become more open-minded, enjoy parts of the world you never even knew existed, and meet cool people! Traveling is something I never really did growing up and now it is a defining part of who I am. Now I want to travel, way to go, Brendan.

5. Social media is wasteful. To me, social media has two purposes: showing off your life so others know how great you are and letting the world know you are still alive. I choose to focus on the latter. In high school, I used to post on Instagram all of my pictures with athletes and celebrities and people would freak out. They are people, just like you and I, relax. Spend your time with people that actually exist and spend time in the physical world.

6. Humility is crucial. Admit when you are wrong, understand you do not know everything and make a conscious effort to better yourself. When you can accept that you are human and make mistakes, your life will become a lot easier and you will experience exponential personal growth.

7. Life is a mental game. I have been hospitalized 10+ times and every time I come out stronger and more determined. While I sit there with an IV in my arm, lightheaded, restless, and struggling to stay afloat, I remember that the pain will be over soon. Last month I have a septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery. Four days later I went to my ENT and essentially they vacuum your nose of all the blood clots and leftover crust. Your nose is numb and it is uncomfortable. My girlfriend watched and said, “Wow, that looked painless.” It was very uncomfortable. I stared at a wall, thought about ramen and before I knew it, the doctor was done.

8. Surround yourself with good people. Growing up I was more introverted than I am now and made a transition to public school for 7th grade. My friends kept me away from trouble and had my back, which made my life a whole lot easier. Surround yourself with positive people who challenge you to be better, respect your decisions, and make life a whole lot more enjoyable. These days I have a small, tight-knit group of friends, which is much better than a large group of acquaintances.

9. Get comfortable with public speaking. America’s biggest phobia — at 25.3% — is public speaking. When I was a young introvert I remember crying during a second-grade play in front of 1000+ people. That same year I came in 3rd at the science fair because I cried during my presentation. I became obsessed with getting better and know I have a weird obsession with public speaking and no fear. Last July I presented at Miller Lite Tap the Future’s Semi-Finals in front of Daymond John and 300+ attendees. I had no fear and was dancing before the show — it felt great. Remember: confidence is key

10. Networking is crucial. Whether or not you like it, who you know can accelerate your growth immensely. Know someone at a company that receives thousands of applicants? A referral will take care of that. Trying to get into your dream college? A professor can help. Want to cut the line at a restaurant? A waiter/waitress can help.

11. Go outside. One of my biggest fears of this current generation is the desire to be on a device at all times. Go outside and kick a soccer ball, play manhunt, or go for a swim. Being able to connect, compete, or enjoy each other’s company is essential for growth. Especially for children. This type of exposure will help a child learn how to build friendship, exercise for health, and burn off some of that pent off energy.

12. Fulfill your passion. Far too many people I know accept their current situation and state they will get out of it soon. How long is “Soon?” Stop accepting what you do not deserve, and chase after what you do. Life is about taking calculated risks. Devise a plan A, B, and C. If one doesn’t work, move to the next.

13. Failure is a part of life. Being a perfectionist is tough. Despite rarely caring about school, I also shot for a 93%. If I get a 93% and the perfectionist gets a 100%, we both get an “A.” This allowed me to add a realistic approach to my work, whereas I allowed a 7% failure rate in what work I produced and handed in. There were exams I got a 100% on, while others a 37% — still got a “B” in the class. Understand that failure leads to learning and learning leads to growth. Use failure as a lesson and push forward.

14. No one lives forever. No matter how hard you try, you will not live forever. Every day you are granted 86,400 seconds, use them wisely, because there is no guarantee tomorrow will come. Take action now or you will be full of regret later on.

15. Have a work-life balance. I spent the year after my graduation working 80+ hours, 7 days a week. It was terrible and led to health issues. Now, I work at a fast-growing startup, but I focus on working smarter versus harder. I am outputting more work in just over half the time. By allowing myself to recharge and have a life outside of work I am happier, healthier, and learning 10x faster — it also helps that I love my job ❤.

16. Plan things out, but add room for spontaneity. Plan out your day but allow certain hours to have room for unexpected events or shifting of events from another day. When my girlfriend and I last visited Rhode Island, we planned out 75% of our day and allowed 25% for spontaneity. We adventured on trips we did not expect and had a blast! The reason we planned so heavily is that we knew a lot of what we wanted to do and when you plan something the only thing you have to do is show up.

17. Get a mentor. No one should go through life alone. Having someone to be a sounding board for your ideas and plans is helpful. As with anything, don’t listen to everything you hear. Listen to what a mentor has to say, add your own thoughts, and make a decision — do research if you are still unclear. A mentor is almost like a therapist because they can help keep you sane.

18. Action > words. You can say you are doing something as often as you like, but until your words become action, they should not be taken fully seriously. “I’m going to start my own business!” Okay, then give it a shot and make it happen! If your words are not working, keep repeating it until it happens. My friends in college used to always joke about how I would say something repeatedly but not do it. A light example is how I always said I would make caprese, but never did. One day I went to Trader Joe’s and bought mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar and went into the dining hall to grab tomatoes and made the entire table caprese. Delicious.

If you want any tips: brendanbarbato@gmail.com

About the author: Northeast Marketing Manager at Lime, took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot’s of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

18 Tips I Wish I Understood Before I was 18 was originally published in Mission.org on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

During my last two years at Babson College and a year after graduation, I worked on building my own company called Shelfie Challenge. It started as something I could work on throughout courses at Babson and I became obsessed with building a product. I learned how to do market research correctly, build pro-forma financial statements, build and present clear pitch decks, forge partnerships with large organizations, and build out extensive business and marketing plans.

The company was beginning to gain some traction near the end of its lifecycle but my health was deteriorating and I needed to take a step back and focus on my health. Stress, 80–100 work weeks, little sleep, and stomach issues required I stop completely. I found out I had an airway obstruction issue that required surgery — septoplasty and turbinate reduction — but the earliest I could schedule the surgery was in August. I ended Shelfie in mid-April.

In April I started spending more time with my friends and family, which was difficult since I was working all day, every day. In May I went home and visited my family and we spent a week in the Dominican Republic — we never take breaks or vacation. At the beginning of June, I started the job search in the Bay Area and targeted Series A+ startups. Companies that sent me offer letters had a little as 20 employees, with some having more than 800.

The biggest priorities for me in choosing a company had to meet the following criteria: incredible teammates, diversity across all spectrums, high growth, a bit of chaos so we can put systems in place, preferably in San Francisco, a challenging role, and the ability to wear multiple hats.

One of the companies I received an offer letter from was Lime. I did a lot of cool things before graduating from college: won 6 national eSports championships, helped my Dad’s company 20x revenue over 3 years, pitched Daymond John and in multiple countries, won the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp #5 as the youngest attendee, and was named a Top 100 Social Enabler globally. With that being said, fortunately, Lime didn’t view me as an entry level candidate.

All of my mistakes, successes, and learnings have prepared me to join Lime. I am the regional marketing manager for the northeast. I am from the northeast, lived and went to school there, and have an insanely large network spread out across the northeast. The role seemed perfect.

Now, I want to share with you a few thoughts on why joining a high growth startup is a great idea. It is not for everyone and even if it is not, you will learn more about yourself than you could have imagined.

Learning How to Build a Sustainable Company

One of the biggest challenges of building a startup when you are young is that you most likely have not seen how a company scales to become sustainable and what systems were put in place to support company-wide growth.

If you are thinking about leaving a large company and joined once those systems were already developed and put in place, you are an incredible asset to a high growth startup. You can then come in and put systems in place to help scale growth at the company.

If you are looking to jump-start or transition your career a high growth startup is a dream. You will gain a lot of knowledge that will prove useful to any career you jump into.

If you join a high growth startup early you will be working long hours but learning extensively about building a company, still will have family and friend time, get paid for it if it is VC backed or funded, and you will soon have an executive position as you scale. If you join later, no worries. You can join the management team, become head or director of an apartment, and things move quickly so expect promotions.

Overall tips:

• Make sure you do not get lost in the chaos of high growth companies
• In modern day a lot of high growth companies are losing money but raised a lot of capital to support growth, therefore, understand they are playing the long game

Career Growth

The tip that I always tell people when they join a high growth startup like Lime is that if they work hard, prove their value, and are ambitious towards a promotion, it will happen in a fairly short amount of time.

Large companies with structure have a typical path to promotion. If you join a sales team as a Sales Development Representative you can expect to be there for 9–12 months, then be advanced to a Junior Account Executive for 3–6 months, then a full-scale Account Executive. Then either transition to Account Management, or a director type role at the company.

Overall Tips

• Work hard and smart, be ambitious and you will move closer to a promotion
• Be prepared to help the company with whatever the most pressing needs are, even if it is outside of your direct role

Wearing Multiple Hats

In a high growth startup — HGS for short— your role might say Northeast Marketing Manager, but, you might be in Portland, Oregon one week helping the team out at an event, or working on various national campaigns, or various organizational partnerships.

Even if your company has raised $467m you should expect to complete your roles needs + be willing to help step in and help the company and team where needed. It sounds like a lot of work but this type of collaboration and support goes a long way and truly makes your work more exciting.

Be prepared to rapidly advance your career. Startups are the greatest place for experiential learning on the job and propelling yourself forward.

Overall Tips

• Be ready to thrive in ambiguity and be a self-starter, while knowing your company has the resources to support you when needed
• Having multiple duties might seem stressful when in the process, but completion of a successful projection is one of the most fulfilling feelings you can experience in your career

Stock Options

Startups involve more risk than a traditional company since it is often new, requires systems for scalability, is bootstrapped for cash and resources, and there is still a lot of structure to figure out. Therefore, you are compensated with company stock — also referred to as equity — for your services.

When given stock options expect a 1-year cliff and 36 months of vesting. That means if you are given 10% stock you are granted 2.5% after year 1 and the remaining 7.5% is granted over 36 months on a monthly basis (.2083/month).

After year 1 you have actually accumulated stock. Ideally, you stay with the company for at least 4 years to have all of your stock vested, meaning, granted to you. As you gain promotions in the company you are typically granted more stock.

Startups typically grant stock options for three reasons:

1. Retain top talent and keep them at the company
2. Compensate for the extra work required, since an acquisition or IPO can give you a large paycheck
3. Give you ownership of the company so you are not limited to your hourly wage

Overall Tips

• As a company scales becomes more systematic and works towards a sustainable business model, the level of risk decreases. A Series F startup is a safer bet to last than a Series A
• Expect to be paid a little less than a similar role at a bigger company since the company has to be capital efficient and you are in turn compensated with stock

If you want any tips: brendanbarbato@gmail.com

About the author: Northeast Marketing Manager at Lime, took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot’s of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

Why You Should Join a High Growth Startup Like Lime was originally published in Mission.org on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

All of my prior experience was in startups. I worked on building my own startup, helped my Dad with his sports memorabilia company, competed across the world in entrepreneurship programs, and have continued to mentor startups.

Trying to jump ship to a formal job was a frustrating process to start, but once I figured out how the process worked, the offer letters started flying in. My goal is to give you some tips about the job process that will help accelerate your growth, as well as give you inside tips into what I look for as a hiring manager at Lime.

Cast Your Net Wide

When I first started the job search I was far too specific. I set out to become a venture capitalist as an associate. This is one of the hardest industries to break into, I had little operating experience and needed more knowledge on term sheets, deal-flow, and other finance-related activities. After about two weeks of realizing this could be a nice end goal — which I could work towards — I decided to start applying to anything and everything that interested me.

Consulting firms, marketing, business development, partnerships, account executive, sales development, and customer success roles. This not only helped me decide what I like and dislike but gave me options. Options are a nice ego boost to your morale and give you leverage in the job search.

After I started casting my net wide I had 6 job offers within six weeks all within the Bay Area, which, to me, is the hardest place in the world to start your career.

Overall tips

• Be specific, yet open-minded
• Keep hustling and accept that companies have very specific needs

Make Your Resume Stand Out

The first thing I look at is the level of effort put into your resume. If you do not put effort into getting hired it likely will translate to a lack of effort once we hire you.

• Did you take the time to format?
• Did you put effort into a design?
• Did you quantify your work so we can understand how well you actually contributed?
• Did you highlight your skillset either via a blurb at the top or bolding certain text

I read through resumes quickly. If you catch my attention, I go into more detail and pass it along to a recruiter.

Overall tips

• You don’t have to use an image but I did. Can cause problems with HR so I took a risk
• The design really stands out for me and how you organize your life story onto one page

Know the Role and Hiring Manager

Before applying to a company I would put together a one-page brief on their mission, funding stage, team and size, PR about the company, and what their current needs are.

When applying I would reach out to ask questions to someone on the team. Now I have help, a referral, and a friend :).

If you receive the interview, research the person you will be speaking with so you have talking points and can relatable. If they play soccer, talk about soccer. If they love eating ramen, talk about your love for food. Be human. Teams thrive on culture fit and skills can easily be acquired in the process.

Overall tips

• Hiring managers have a lot on their plate, meaning, please be patient
• Don’t go overboard and relate on every point. You are allowed and encouraged to showcase your unique self

Have your 90 to 120-Second Pitch Ready

One of the most common questions any recruiter will ask you at the start of the call is “Tell me about yourself.” Here is my direct response so that you have a basis point:

“I promise this will be the longest answer I give and I am happy to go into more details about certain points after. Since I was 2 years old I have been a type 1 diabetic, which helps define who I am and peaks my interest in social impact. Going into high school I was an athlete, broke the growth plate in both of my knees three months apart, and my athletic career ended right there. Still being competitive, I decided to give eSports a try. Within 4 years I had won 6 MLG season brackets ranging from 5,000 to 60,000 teams. Going into college I became interested in entrepreneurship after working with my Dad on his sports memorabilia company. From a business development perspective, I helped him 20x [redacted] his business. This led me to Babson College where I lived in eTower, which housed the top 21 entrepreneurs on campus and alumni have raised $500m over 15 years. In the summer of 2016, I took part in a Babson summer program in San Francisco. After demo day I was invited as the youngest Hive Global Leader and was welcomed back to be a group leader 3 times. I represented Babson as a whole at the Forbes conference and got the school 45 free tickets. A month later my startup formed a six-month partnership with Microsoft. In the spring I was selected out of 6000 people, went to Brisbane, Australia for the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, worked 101 hours over 5 days and won the event. I moved back to San Francisco in June of 2017 and worked on my own startup. In April of 2018, I decided I wanted a change and here I am :).

Overall tips

• I wanted to be vulnerable to show that I am human
• This was not scripted and was all natural for me — it’s easy to catch if you script this
• Highlight and quantify your experience. I chose to pick a few key moments from when I was younger and then hone in on my college experience since I am one year out of school

How to Follow up After the Phone Screen

• Be persistent and patient. Not a nuisance.
• Provide real value to the people you talk to. In Silicon Valley value creation is crucial. Prove your worth and show what you can do.
• Be a hustler. Never give up. Find a way.
• Always follow-up to say thank you after every conversation via email.

If I Were Searching for a Job

• Utilize your network. Warm introductions are everything in Silicon Valley. When a person that is trusted introduces you, there is a higher chance person you wish to speak with take the time to chat.
• Talk to people at the company. Message them on LinkedIn, hop on a call, and do whatever it takes to learn more about the company — and now you have a reference if you do well.
• Your resume is the foot in the door. Once you use your resume to understand what career to go after, you will complete phone screens and on-sites where you cover your experience. Make sure it relates to the position! I mention this again because your resume is the base and your conversations and ability to perform are what will get you hired.
• Keep relationships warm and stay in touch. Do not talk to someone one time, gain value, and never talk to them again. Find ways to create value for the other party and frequently stay in touch. Even if it is a “Hey, was thinking of you and hope you are well” or sending them an article they might be interested in.

If you want any tips: brendanbarbato@gmail.com

About the author: Northeast Marketing Manager at Lime, took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot’s of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

Career Tips from a Hiring Manager @ Lime was originally published in Mission.org on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On Saturday, February 4th, 2017 my buddy Kyle and I decided to attend Hack Brown at Brown University. Kyle is a self-taught software developer and I am passionate about meeting people and building connections. Therefore, while Kyle was building the project we were working on, I started networking with all of the event sponsors.

Outside of the hackathon, I was building a startup called Shelfie Challenge and was always looking to meet corporate partners or future investors. When I went to meet up with my friend from Microsoft — who led a Shelfie & Microsoft partnership via a hackfest — I saw a booth for Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).

When I approached the booth I asked a woman named Mariel to tell me more about a16z. Then I was asked about what I was working on and then went on to ask if I could be connected to the investment team. Within days our pitch deck was reviewed and we did not receive an investment — looking back, there was a -12% chance we were going to get an investment but it was worth a shot. Over a year I periodically checked in with Mariel to say hello and see what ways we could help each other.

Before I talk about how this connection led to my current job, I want to mention how to go about the job search in general.

How to Land a Job in Silicon Valley

All of my work experience is in consulting and entrepreneurship. Most payments were in cash or check and I have never received a pay stub. Therefore, trying to sell myself was going to be a difficult task to overcome. If you are switching jobs you can highlight your previous careers. If you are an entrepreneur, highlight your traction and how you impacted the team.

Silicon Valley is the hot spot for startups, therefore, you are competing with hundreds and sometimes thousands of applicants for one job. Business Insider even ranked getting hired at a Silicon Valley company can be more difficult than getting into Harvard. Within six weeks of my job search I ended up with 5 different job offers — ranging from 20 person startups to 1000 person corporations.

If I were to go back into the job search, here is what I would have told myself:

• Create a strong resume. You can have a general resume that highlights your top skills and careers, but if you are entering a new industry, change your resume to meet their lingo and use the company’s language from the description.
• Have your 90–180 second pitch ready. Have a solid, chronological story of your recent years and work ready to go. It became second nature to me after a few times and it definitely impressed people.
• Research the company. Before every call I researched the company on CrunchBase, the person I was talking to on LinkedIn, and any recent press. Be knowledgeable.
• Utilize your network. Warm introductions are everything in Silicon Valley. When a person that is trusted introduces you, there is a higher chance person you wish to speak with take the time to chat.
• Talk to people at the company. Message them on LinkedIn, hop on a call, and do whatever it takes to learn more about the company — and now you have a reference if you do well.
• Your resume is the foot in the door. Once you use your resume to understand what career to go after, you will complete phone screens and on-sites where you cover your experience. Make sure it relates to the position! I mention this again because your resume is the base and your conversations and ability to perform are what will get you hired.
• Never make a cover letter. Cover letters are a waste of time. If you network your way in all you need is a resume. If you want to apply through a job portal and compete with thousands of applicants and waste your time, be my guest.
• Keep relationships warm and stay in touch. Do not talk to someone one time, gain value, and never talk to them again. Find ways to create value for the other party and frequently stay in touch. Even if it is a “Hey, was thinking of you and hope you are well” or sending them an article they might be interested in.

Finally, How I Ended up at Lime

As I continued to stay in touch with Mariel, I decided that I wanted to stay in the startup world. Therefore, I started contacting talent teams at VC firms to connect me with their portfolio companies. Mariel heads college talent and since I graduated, she connected me with Garrett, who is a talent partner at a16z. Speaking with someone who has experience made my life a lot easier!

After our initial conversation, I let Garrett know which a16z companies were of interest and he, in turn, said he would circle back with an intro when there was mutual interest and fit.

One of those companies was Lime. I was introduced to a founding team member and within a week was on the phone. Within one month I signed an offer letter and was on the team! Other companies took as little as two weeks but it varies based on size and the teams current workload.

Lime viewed me as a team member, has rapid growth, and truly believed in me. The team is experienced, there is a great social mission, and I am confident Lime will be at the forefront of urban transportation and making travel more accessible and easier!

With that being said, I will be joining Lime on August 6th as the Northeast Marketing Manager! Monthly I will be traveling mostly between NYC and SF but will be all over the northeast as well.

Overall Tips

• Use a professional picture on your resume. Lime receives 1000+ applicants per week and faces are easier to remember than names.
• Always go after a warm introduction into a company.
• Be persistent and patient. Not a nuisance.
• Provide real value to the people you talk to. In Silicon Valley value creation is crucial. Prove your worth and show what you can do.
• Be a hustler. Never give up. Find a way.
• Always follow-up to say thank you after every conversation!

Quick Recap

Network. Network. Network. Get warm introductions to firms, show your value, be persistent, and always follow-up. I will never apply through a job portal again. I have a strong network and will continue to grow it! If I do not know someone, I will find someone that knows that person! Keep pushing forward and you will get a job at a high growth startup such as Lime!

If you want any tips: brendanbarbato@gmail.com

About the author: Northeast Marketing Manager at Lime, took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot’s of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

How I Got a Job @ Lime was originally published in Mission.org on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Since high school, I have been an avid gamer. From 2009–2013 I played competitive Call of Duty and was fortunate enough to win 6 online seasons, where as little as 5,000 or as many as 60,000 teams competed over 3 months. Having lived on the east coast for the majority of my life I never considered flying to E3, which is hosted in Los Angeles every year. Despite this, I bought a ticket on the final day and booked a flight for the following week — currently live in San Francisco so it is easier.

Over the last few years, I have attended dozens of conferences and E3 is by far the best one I have attended. Never have I said to myself, “Wow, I cannot wait for a conference next year.” Those of you who are not into gaming are probably thinking, “No, thank you.” Therefore, let me explain why video games exist in the first place.

Why Video Games Exist

My parents would tell you that buying me an Xbox growing up was a mistake. It is a waste of time, you don’t spend enough time outside, and you are letting video games consume you. Well, much like anything in life, you need moderation. Here are a few reasons people game:

Escapism

Video games allow you to enter a world where you live through an in-game character and you have a reset/restart button. Many people find the real world boring, frustrating or stressful. With video games, you are allowed to enter a world where you create what happens and you can become anything you wish to be.

Entertainment

When you live a busy life, are suffering from an illness, or simply need a form of amusement that is not Netflix, playing video games can serve as a way to relieve stress and entertaining. If you fill your time with something that makes you happy, why not do it?

Camaraderie and Community

Playing a team-based game such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, or League of Legends, allows you to have an online community and camaraderie between you and your teammates. When I played competitive Call of Duty I had group chats with my team, we scheduled time to play together and communicated frequently — similar to the friends I know in-person.

What is E3?

For those of you unfamiliar with what E3 is, it is the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It is essentially an e-trade show for the video game industry that allows video game developers, publishers, and gaming hardware companies to introduce their new products and innovations to the public. This could be via a press conference, live talk by industry experts, or walking the exhibition floors which hosted 200+ gaming companies.

Only until recently did E3 offer a gaming pass — which is what I purchased and will be sharing my perspective from — which allowed gamers to enter E3 talks and exhibition floors.

Highlights of E3

Now that we know why video games exist and the reason for 70,000 casual gamers and fanatics attending E3, let’s cover some of the highlights. The three events that stood out to me the most was a panel on how videos games inspired HBO’s Westworld, the Epic Games feature of Fortnite on the exhibit floor, and the overall “Hollywood” production of E3

“Revenge of the NPC: Video Gaming’s Influence on Westworld

Like many of you reading this, I am a massive Westworld fan. Whenever watching I constantly question the difference between those who are conscious and lack emotion. When you dive into the show you start to question your own life and purpose. If you have not watched Westworld, I HIGHLY recommend you do. Since this was a panel with the two creators of Westworld — Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan — I will share a few points I found interesting:

• Before writing Westworld, Jonathan and Lisa completed a nine-month research period where they played video games and sourced for inspiration. Inspiration came from games like BioShock, Portal, Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim, Halo 2, and other sandbox and open world games. Inspirations range from walking into a city in Skyrim to the concept of a stray and finding the bugs in Halo 2.
• They spoke about the construction of the park. Sweetwater is the PG version of a game. Even if you are a bad player you can have a good time here; or you can venture off to more dangerous missions. They started with the character Hector and the further out you go the harder it is to win. Geography discards the nature of your adventure and Hector allows a player to experience this by baking Hector into a lot of narratives.
• One major theme in Westworld is gamifying reality. The Man in Black is an expert and despite this, he continues to play. He is frustrated and wants a real experience that actually threatens his life — the Host in Westworld cannot harm you. It is not about having a steady stream of wins but having meaning within. You want a give and take world because playing God is too boring.
• We need to reinvent the meaning of “Video Games.” It is more about an experience than calling it a video game. Finished game > beat game.

Fortnite on the Exhibition Floor

Fortnite is a free battle-royale game that made $296m in the month of April despite giving it away for free. 100 players drop from the sky hunger games style, the map gets smaller, and players fight until a winner is crowned. Epic Games is the developer of Fortnite and I spent countless hours taking pictures with their props, videos of me flying and dancing, and playing fortnite.

The first game I played was with 3 random gamers from E3 on Xbox One. We dropped at Anarchy Acres, my 3 teammates instantly died, I killed 3 players and the fourth got me. During game 2 a few of us died in the middle of the game and one survived. He made it to the final 7 and then fell off the map — which I have never actually witnessed. Game 3 was all business. The three people I was paired with were really good and we ended up winning the game and 2500 vbucks. The thrill of winning at E3 left me filled with adrenaline.

Hollywood Production of E3

All of the major gaming companies — Epic Games, Bethesda, Nintendo, Activision, etc. — had massive layouts on the exhibition floor. Activision had a 2-hour wait to play Call of Duty Black Ops 4 and Nintendo had a 4-hour wait to play Pokemon. The size of the lines were mind-blowing and I was amazed at the ~1-200 ft TV Nintendo used to showcase their new games.

In all the conferences I have been to I have never seen such great effort to attract people to a booth. The floor was mostly for gamers and had exciting staff bouncing around and chatting you up before you play. I would call E3 the Disney World of video games. It was incredible.

Industry Trends

• Augmented & Virtual reality — Pokemon GO, Oculus Rift, DisplayLink
• Inclusivity — expose kids to the beauty of being different
• Mobile gaming — Nintendo, Warner Brother’s Interactive
• Streaming — currently reading up more on LumberYard (Amazon’s new game engine) and Twitch integrations

Tips for attending

1. Bring a small bag with a strap to avoid having to pay $10 to check your bag before entering the venue. If you land and need to, you are allowed to check 1 bag for $10.
2. Pack a reusable water bottle to refill while inside.
3. Bring a tote bag to carry all of your goodies! Alternatively, you typically get one when purchasing merchandise from a booth.
4. On day 1 the line to enter the exhibit hall is insane. I would go for an hour after it opens and hope for the best.
5. I do not recommend waiting in line to play games if it is longer than 30 minutes. Hardcore gamers will disagree but I refuse to wait 4 hours to play Pokemon.
6. Dress for LA warmth but also realize inside the exhibit hall will be a bit chilly so I recommend a fleece or pullover.
7. Do not eat from the dining halls. There are a lot of food trucks and restaurants around the venue. One night I walked to Colori Kitchen and had incredible Italian food.
8. Some attendees recommend hand sanitizer but there are bathrooms everywhere.
9. Book an AirBnB nearby and take a Lyft/Uber to the convention center. All of my rides were <$5 and to LAX was ~$20.
10. If you are there to game, great. If you plan to meet people, bring your business cards!
11. Try each of the two halls and then dedicate most of your time to one. I found the South Hall to me much more entertaining — varies on gaming interest.
12. Understand that while we game there are deals being done with developers, publishers, and industry experts all around the area. Some booths are very exclusive and invite-only but it makes sense — respect it.

These are a few of the tips for attending and I hope to give a new perspective next year from an Industry Pass! If you have any questions, send me an email: brendanbarbato@gmail.com

About the author: took a small family business from $50k to $1m in revenue in 3 years, have a failed startup under my belt (lot of lessons), winner of the MIT Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Babson College ’17 graduate who lived in eTower (houses top 21 entrepreneurs on campus, alumni have raised $500m), partnered my startup with Microsoft while in school, Kairos and Forbes fellow, and played competitive Call of Duty in high school and led my team to six championships.

E3: The Greatest Gaming Event in the World was originally published in Mission.org on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.