What were startups like in the colonial era?

On the high seas of capitalism, I’d rather fly under the skull and crossbones.

In the late 17the and early 18th century, business took place on the high seas. 

Royalty and aristocrats were the investor class of the colonial age. They commissioned merchants like founders to embark on literal ventures in search of riches in foreign lands. 

The markets that moved on the high seas mostly trafficked in products and services that most of us would be ashamed to profit from today. Things like conquest, plunder, exploitation, and the regrettable but very profitable trade in human beings. 

Most colonial-era companies would be cancelled today. But there was one group that was way ahead of its time.

Pirates.

Pirates were the scrappy bootstrapped startups of the colonial era. 

They ruled by committee, with each officer on their “plank” of directors (including the captain), elected by the members of the crew. 

If an officer wasn’t worthy of his seat, they could be ordered to walk the plank by vote, too.

But captains only truly ruled in battle. The rest of the time, the ship was a flat organization, with everyone doing their part according to the written articles of agreement. 

The Articles of Agreement were signed by each sailor before joining the crew, like the acknowledgement page in the Pirate Handbook. 

The Pirate Handbook determined how booty would be distributed, like a structured bonus program. 

There were strict codes against theft and malice like the labor codes of today, and guilt or punishment were decided collectively by a kind of EEO-Sea.

And speaking of equal opportunity, pirates welcomed escaped sailors from marginalized identities, giving them opportunities for advancement that they never would have had in the navy or merchant marines. Lady-pirates could even become captains, like Ching Shih, who led a fleet of 1,200 ships and a workforce the size of Morgan Stanley.

You could call it D-E-Aye-aye-matey.

But don’t forget, a pirate’s life is full of workplace hazARRRRRds. Which is why pirates had a kind of worker’s comp policy. Before the loot from any battle was handed out, pirates were paid for their injuries so that no one would have to pay out of pocket for their peg legs, hooks, or eye patches.

More booty, less bullship, and the chance to leave a bad boss marooned on a desert island from time to time. If I’m going to risk an eye in the high seas of capitalism, I’d rather sail under the jolly roger.

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👋 I'm Claire. I usually say I work in people operations, but on a pirate ship I'd call myself H-ARRRRRRRRR. 

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