Successful Companies

So now I've interviewed with a few different organizations and I continue to learn more about them and have noticed some trends....

One is a fairly young company started by an individual who is certainly capable but does not strike me as the most profound individual. I would credit much of the company's success to being in the right place at the right time, and timing is everything (or at least a lot of it). Unfortunately it lacked some of the organizational structure and acumen that would be difficult to instill in a company that has 300 employees and seems to be oblivious to rationale for a logical architecture.

A couple of others were interesting because while they were very very different (industry, size, etc.), they have some common themes. Both have been in business for many years and have had some flat or down times in business recently and are trying to build things back up. In discussions with both though it became apparent to me that neither are truly looking to change things dramatically and that they have a pervasive mentality of maintaining the status quo. When I asked my questions during the interviews (and in an inquisitive tone, not judgmental), the responses and interest in new methods or ways of looking at processes were tepid at best.

So, the search continues and gratefully I'm not pressed to settle for the first thing. I really do want to work with an organization that is progressive, creative, and receptive to new ideas.