Rivian

RJ (CEO) has a clear goal in mind: to enact a positive change on the environment in which our children and our children's children will grow up. This is not just a sales pitch; it is absolutely genuine and is the cornerstone of the company vision. Ultimately, that's what attracted me and many others to Rivian, and there are few, if any, companies in the world right now able to deliver the same extent of positive change.

Yes, Rivian is a startup and is now experiencing typical issues associated with the necessary growth that enables success. However, the opposite (no growth and a static work environment) would bore me to tears. It's a constant challenge of strong growth, mixed international cultures, experienced and inexperienced employees, old and new employees, changing organizational structures, new investors, new technologies, and brand new vehicle concepts. But it's these same challenges that allow the opportunity to do things differently.

Rivian is growing and adapting whilst building amazing products, and there is no place more exciting to work in the world right now. For those who are frustrated by it, I strongly believe the better response is to embrace it, grow with it, and try to affect it positively over time. Eventually, it will all calm down, and you will miss this phase.

It's extremely difficult to build a car company, and it's not for everyone.

There are often casualties to the pace, the rate of organizational change, the dilution of culture, and the relentless drive to maintain timelines to keep customers happy.

Most work long hours but are generally driven by a desire for success in what Rivian is trying to do.

The average employee at Rivian is robustly capable, with a strong desire to be influential in Rivian's success. However, these types of personalities need strong, experienced management.

This is difficult to build immediately in a startup and is the toughest of challenges for RJ and his leadership team.

While Rivian grows at an extraordinary pace, they are constantly working to refine how the business is run. Unfortunately, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Provide some level of management training, focusing on EQ and good mentorship. There are brilliant minds throughout the business, but without good (sensitive) management and leadership, it's easy to let these skilled individuals go to waste, or worse, become disgruntled.

Pushing a diverse team to achieve its best, without undermining their efforts or disrespecting their opinions, does not always come naturally, especially to highly technical folk.