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Aaron McHugh| < 1 minute read

Which of these companies would you invest $10,000 in?

You have $10,000 to invest in one of two technology companies.

They have the exact same business model, competing against each other in the same market space.

You are looking to maximize your return on investment in two years.

The differentiation is the management team’s approach to work environment.

Company #1 is traditional

Company #1 believes in a traditional work environment. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You cannot be a minute late and the phones shut off at 5 p.m.  The employees are provided a predictable vanilla environment.

The management team is very focused on cutting costs and increasing customer pricing.

They have a worldwide customer base on a 10-year old technology platform.

Company #2 wants to slay dragons

Company #2 believes in a non-traditional work environment.

They let you bring your dog to work, park your bike indoors on the bike rack in the lobby, and have a beer tap in the kitchen.

Work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but some show up late and some stay late.

Some work after-hours and weekends.

The phones don’t shut off; they roll over to after-hour cell phones.

The management team is very focused on retention and recruitment of the best talent they can find.

They believe the biggest dragons to be slayed are out in the marketplace.

Which company will provide you a higher return? 

Where would you put your money?

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About the Author Aaron McHugh

Aaron McHugh is an executive transformation coach, enterprise agility consultant, writer, podcaster, adventurer, and author of Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job.

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