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Hi Sifted Reader,

Growing a business at lightspeed isn't easy — or pain-free for employees. At Sifted, we've previously investigated the toll blitzscaling has taken on staff at Gorillas and N26. Today we're looking at the impact of hypergrowth on people working at Glovo. Get the inside story on that below, and also see:

• What’s it really like to be a digital nomad?
• The VCs investing in the metaverse
• Why you need a cofounder agreement for startup success

— Connor, editorial assistant & Amy, editor

Glovo has long been touted as one of Spain's startup superstars — it's one of its only unicorns, was an early mover in the speedy grocery market and, at the end of last year, struck a deal to sell a majority stake in the business to Delivery Hero for $2.6bn.

But beneath the surface everything might not have been so rosy.

Late last year, Sifted began receiving messages from current and former staff at the company, many of whom said that Glovo’s ruthless and unempathetic management style has had a serious impact on their mental health. 

Tim Smith spoke to 10 Glovo employees to get the inside story.

From digital wallets to BNPL, Gen Z and beyond have stepped away from chip and pin and into a new era. We’ve made a two-minute video debunking a big payment myth so you don’t get left behind.

Watch the video now.

Travelling the world while working, the digital nomad life sure does sound dreamy. But being a lone traveller has its challenges too.

Making friends — and keeping in touch with them — can be hard, while nomad community conversations can, frankly, get pretty repetitive. 

Miriam Partington and Tim Smith reveal the highs and lows of nomad life. 

Not everyone is convinced that investing in the metaverse is the route to riches... but plenty still are.

Europe now has specialist metaverse investors, and many generalist and deeptech funds are paying close attention to the sector. 

So, which firms should metaverse startups pitch to? And what exactly are they looking for?

For Nikolay Ganyushkin, serial entrepreneur and CEO and founder of Acure.io, it took three startup failures for him to realise that the best way to make a startup survive is by writing up — and sticking to — partner agreements.

So how should you go about it?

Ganyushkin gives you the rundown.

While some industries took a beating during Covid, SaaS companies thrived. Dubbed the "kings of the coronavirus", 39 European SaaS companies raised $100m+ rounds in 2021. Growth has been consistent for over a decade, too. SaaS companies have grown ten-fold since 2010.

But can SaaS sustain its rapid growth and keep investors interested for many more years to come?

Find out here.

Read key insights from Europe's founders, entrepreneurs and leaders on all things to do with running a startup.

👍 How to find the right chief of staff. As trusted companion to the CEO and the glue that holds a startup together, a chief of staff is a pretty important role to fill. But when's the best time to hire one and what are the key qualities to look out for? Tristan Lim, chief of staff at community platform Commsor, shares some top-notch advice.

❌ How (not) to survey staff. Jade Francine is cofounder and COO of lift maintenance startup WeMaintain. She’s always been super keen on gathering feedback from her team, and now that it’s 120-people strong, based in Paris, London and Singapore, she thinks it’s more important than ever to take a pulse check. Here’s how she does that.

💡 How to onboard remote developers. Having built teams at a handful of well-known companies, Vidya Mani knows a thing or two about how to onboard people remotely. Here's how to onboard like a pro.

🏖️ How to run a really great offsite. As the world opens up properly (we hope), you might be thinking of taking the team away for a few days. Here's what you need to consider to make your offsite a winner.

😇 How to compensate remote workers. Employing people all over the world — and compensating them "fairly" — is tough. So how can startups make sure they’re treating all their staff well, no matter where they're working from? Dee Coakley, cofounder and CEO of Dublin-based Boundless, shares her words of wisdom here.

Thinking of working for Europe's best startup media company? Now's your chance to get in! Check out the roles we have on offer below: 

✏️ Sifted is looking for a senior reporter, based outside of the UK, to write top-notch journalism. See more here.

💸 Got a knack for building high-quality client campaigns and owning the full sales cycle? Check out our business development executive — media sales role.

🤹🏽 We're on the hunt for a new editorial assistant. You'll be at the heart of Sifted's editorial team, doing everything from writing newsletters to creating charts and working on investigations. Learn more here.

🏆 We’re looking for a new client services manager to make our advertising and sponsorship clients the happiest folk in town. You’ll be championing client projects internally and ensuring a seamless delivery of client campaigns across our growing portfolio of advertising and sponsorship products. Apply here!

🛠️ For our campaign coordinator/administrator role, we're hunting for someone who can support all aspects of managing client campaigns, from communicating with a range of stakeholders to making sure content looks polished.

Queering VC for LGBTIQ+ Founders & Entrepreneurs | Online | April 5

Join RAHM, the global LGBTIQ+ leadership community and a star panel to learn about the challenges queer people face in the tech industry, as well as how VCs can support the community.

Pitch-perfect fundraising | Online | April 7

2021 was a record-breaking year for capital raised — and yet fundraising continues to be a nail-biting experience. Our upcoming Sifted Talks discusses the dos and don’ts of a successful pitch and how to stand out from the crowd.

Amy Lewin
Editor 

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu
Or tweeting at @amyrlewin

Connor Bilboe 

Editorial Assistant

Get in touch with him at connor@sifted.eu
Or @connorbilboe

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