Not sure you're going to like what I'm about to say. But if you work at a startup, or you're building something from scratch, you need to read this:
There are 2 kinds of people:
- The ones who ask what to do.
- The ones who see something undone, do it, and then help the next person do it too.
At GetLavado, at Laundryheap, MercadoLibre, Melian and every team I've worked with, the difference between moving forward and getting stuck almost always came down to that: ownership.
Not talent. Not brilliant ideas. Stepping up.
🚀 What ownership means
Simple:
- You don't wait to be told what to do.
- You make calls even when things are fuzzy.
- You document, edit, push, collect, sell, present, even if it's not "your job".
- You see a hole… and you fill it. Period.
💥 I've lived it
I've had moments where someone on the team just got out ahead: built the website, pushed the deal over the line with the client, sorted out the mess nobody else understood, made things happen.
And other moments where nobody did.
Where everyone was waiting for "the signal". Where nobody asked, nobody moved. And that's where you lose something that doesn't come back easy: momentum.
🙋♂️ So who should have ownership?
Everyone.
But if you're the founder, start with yourself.
I didn't have a big team when we started. I sold, coded, did UX, collected payments, paid taxes, ran campaigns, handled customers and fixed bugs at 2am.
Not because I like suffering. Because if I didn't do it, nothing happened.
And even today, with more structure, I still have to keep pushing. And it still surprises me how rare it is to see someone pick up something that isn't theirs… and get it done.
🧠 What's the most common problem on teams without ownership?
Shitty communication.
And excuses as a shield.
- "I thought you were going to do it."
- "Nobody asked me to."
- "It's not clear to me."
Ownership is doing it even when it's not all clear. Even when it's not directly on you. Even when you're on your own.
👊 Real growth comes from this:
- You do your part… and a little more.
- You make calls without asking permission for everything.
- And when something's falling apart, you don't wait for someone else to pick it up.
You get your hands dirty. And you fix it.
Want to work on something big?
Ownership.
Want to build something that lasts?
Ownership.
Want to be on a team that actually moves?
Ownership.
It's not a nice-sounding value. It's how you grow.
