50 Ways to Say Goodbye

This is the second or third...maybe even 4th post I've attempted to write about this topic. I decided to throw out a few versions after soliciting advice from friends, family, mentors, etc. I even left some juicy material on the editing room floor which I'll share with those interested. My most recent title was 'I don't burn bridges...I like to blow them up' subtle, no? So here goes why I'm leaving Zipcar and what's in store:

I officially left Zipcar on March 15th (I resigned a week before the CEO, Thank You!). I'm not running away from anything. I'm running towards my future. A future where I know how to code and I stop saying "I aspire to be an entrepreneur." I don't want to be anymore, I am. I'm not learning to code to become an engineer. I'm learning how to build things and figuring out how to tell the computer what to do rather than being told. I'm learning to code to empower myself to help build the future. I've often said a startup team needs a business focused co-founder and a technically focused co-founder but that's bullshit. Everyone from the marketing team to the customer service providers need to at least understand/appreciate the technical side of the business. Yes, I'll need to build a team, but I'm starting with myself. So I'm going "All In" if you will and couldn't be happier/more confident in my decision.

So why am I really leaving Zipcar? The short answer and the one many expect is that they screwed me out of compensation. Every sales manager knows you don't screw a salesperson out of comp they earned. It just comes across poorly especially when it's planned for and budgeted. The long answer is I no longer have faith that the company is being managed by their mission or core values which is corroding the company culture. We market Zipcar to prospective employees as a public company that still feels like a startup. Beers, exceptional benefits, and flexible working hours are common within a startup but hierarchies, crippling indecisiveness, and a general lack of communication are not. I don't mean communication from the CEO to the managers and the managers to the employees. What I mean is that nothing was up for discussion and feedback was rarely taken into consideration. That creates the sense that you're expected to sit down, shut up, and tune out because you'll get chastised for stepping out of line. That's no way to foster creativity and innovation. Nor is it how you attract A type talent. For most people job security is enough even if it means a smaller paycheck than they'd otherwise expect. Others want and expect more out of their job.

So how would i fix it? I expect to be able to respectively ask questions without fear of retribution. I expect to have open conversations with my manager about the direction of the company and what I face on a daily basis. Plans shouldn't come down from above and expected to be executed without input from those they effect. That goes twice for decisions that have a direct economic impact on employees and they should never be presented as final. Finally, there should never be a C-suite and if there is, it should never be locked off from the other employees of the company.

I take some ownership for the grievances I have with the company over compensation. It goes back to communication being a two way street as I could have done more to get them to see my point of view. I could have gone out of my way to make my opinions of the culture known but what can an Inside Sales Rep really do in a year? It gets back to culture and openness. I hope this post as well as my vote to leave helps make the situation better for my colleagues and ultimately the company. I LOVE the product/service that Zipcar has created and will be a member until it falls apart or a better alternative comes along. I hope that Avis keeps it simple, continues to obsess about the member (me), and delivers a great product at a fair price. If not they'll be pissing $500M down the drain and destroying a truly revolutionary business model...unless that's the point.

To my colleagues, Thank You for the past year+. It's been a wild ride at times but ultimately it's been rewarding on many levels.

To my family and friends, be ready for an amazing journey.

To my wife, let's start kicking ass and taking names! You are the best.

Take Care and Talk Soon,

Christopher Mutty

(update: This post was written on 3/8 when I submitted my resignation. It was originally posted on my last day 3/15 and updated slightly after the events that transpired on that day.)