Coasting Isn’t a Skill: When Startup Slackers Sink the Ship

The Fine Line Between Helping and Enabling

In any fast-moving organization, there will be times when you need to step in to help others. People fall behind for many reasons—tight deadlines, competing priorities, or simply being overwhelmed. When you’re part of a minor, agile team, jumping in to support a coworker is often necessary for the business to succeed. But how do you distinguish between temporary support and enabling a long-term pattern of slacking off?

There’s a clear difference between being a team player and getting taken advantage of. A team player steps in during a rough patch, helps get things back on track, and then returns to regular responsibilities. A chronic ‘helper’—often due to peer pressure, guilt, or fear of confrontation—does their own job and someone else’s regularly.

When you constantly have to cover for others, the message becomes clear: you’re the dependable one who will always pull through. But there’s an unspoken consequence here—your workload grows heavier, and your energy depletes as you cover for colleagues who aren’t pulling their weight. It’s not long before you start to feel the creeping resentment.

When Slackers Go Unchecked

It’s one thing to help someone who’s genuinely struggling or behind on a project due to external circumstances. It’s quite another to consistently bail out people who are coasting by or aren’t even bothering to figure things out. This becomes a recipe for disaster in startups, where the stakes are high and the timelines are tight.

When a person, or even a group of people, refuses to address their performance issues, the ripple effect spreads across the team. Suddenly, the timeline for key projects slips, not because the work is inherently complex, but because one or two people simply won’t take ownership. Worse, when this kind of behavior goes unchecked by leadership, it sets a dangerous precedent.

Allowing slackers to get away with contributing less while others pick up the pieces creates a culture of resentment and distrust. Once motivated and dedicated to the company’s mission, people may question why they’re working so hard when others seem to get away with doing the bare minimum.

The Hidden Cost of ‘Teamwork’

In startups, ‘teamwork’ is often invoked as the cure-all for problems. Team meetings, team brainstorming sessions, and team-building exercises are all designed to promote a sense of unity and collective responsibility. However, when teamwork is used as a catch-all phrase to justify others neglecting their duties, it loses its power.

There’s a hidden cost to this distorted view of teamwork: imbalance. Those who consistently step up to fill the gaps are at risk of burnout, and their resentment toward those who don’t can become toxic. This imbalance is unsustainable for any startup that thrives on momentum, agility, and innovation.

Resentment doesn’t just stay within the individual—it spreads across teams. Other team members notice who’s pulling their weight and who isn’t. Over time, the divide grows: the hard workers grow weary of carrying the extra load, while the slackers continue to coast without consequence. It’s a perfect storm for a toxic culture where productivity suffers, communication breaks down, and morale hits rock bottom.

When the Powers That Be Can’t or Won’t Address the Problem

One of the most significant contributors to this culture of imbalance is leadership’s inability (or unwillingness) to address the problem. Whether it’s avoiding conflict, maintaining friendships with certain employees, or simply not paying attention, when management doesn’t confront slackers, the issue gets worse.

It’s often easier to ignore the problem than to deal with the tough conversations or implement corrective measures. However, leaders who sweep these issues under the rug are failing their teams and their companies. They’re essentially telling their hard-working employees that their effort and dedication are less important than avoiding the discomfort of confrontation. Ultimately, everyone suffers as the slackers drift through their days while others carry an unfair burden.

The Slow Burn of Resentment

Resentment doesn’t build overnight. It starts small. Maybe you initially don’t mind helping out, thinking that it’s a short-term solution or a one-off situation. But as the pattern continues, you realize you’re stuck in a cycle of covering for others.

The resentment builds whenever you take on someone else’s task without acknowledgment or compensation. It grows when you see slackers given the same praise (or, worse, more praise) despite their lack of contribution. Eventually, that resentment becomes unbearable, leading to one of two outcomes: you burn out and leave, or you become disengaged and stop caring. Neither option is healthy for you or the startup.

How to Maintain Balance Without Burning Out

So, what can be done? The answer is tricky because it requires honesty, boundaries, and sometimes a willingness to ruffle a few feathers.

• Set Boundaries: You have to know when to say no. If someone consistently asks you to handle their tasks, it’s time to talk. Explain that while you’re happy to help when needed, you can’t continue to take on their responsibilities indefinitely.
• Have Open Conversations: Don’t let resentment fester in silence. If you notice a pattern of people offloading work, address it head-on. Talk to the person directly; if that doesn’t work, escalate it to leadership.
• Hold Leaders Accountable: If management ignores the problem, it is crucial to bring it to their attention. Let them know how the situation affects your and the team’s productivity. A leader’s job is to ensure fairness and prevent burnout, so they should take steps to correct the imbalance.
• Re-Evaluate Your Role: Sometimes, reflecting on your willingness to help is necessary. Are you stepping in out of necessity, or are you afraid of being perceived as uncooperative? Assess whether your contributions are valued and if the culture is one you want to be part of long-term.