building a kick-ass startup team
TRANSCRIPT
“FORGING AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS REALLY WHAT BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT. AND THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO TAKE A RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL THAN A GOOD MEAL IN THE RIGHT SETTING”
“SMART LEADERS OF INNOVATION DON’T SET A VISION AND MOTIVATE OTHERS TO FOLLOW IT; THEY CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT IS BOTH WILLING AND ABLE TO INNOVATE”
My current ‘team’
Start with a great co-founder
“Forming a company with a co-founder that you met a week ago at a networking event is like saying ‘I married the first person I met at the slot machines in Vegas.’”
Peter Thiel. Co-founder of PayPal, Palantir and first external investor in Facebook
Getting great people
• They do not grow on trees • Who are the smartest people you know?
• You need to charm them • Build your network before you really need it
What are people looking for?
• A cool place to work? • A great environment? • The right money? • A big and interesting challenge? • A chance to hit the jackpot?
So you have to create this place
• Start with WHY • As the leader - what values are most important to you?
• What values will you look for in employees?
• What could never be tolerated?
Getting great people
“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny”
Mahatma Ghandi
Hiring is difficult
• It takes a long time (continuous?) • Do not outsource interviewing • Difficult and fast decisions are required • You cannot grow by always focusing on your product
Finding people
• Network, network, network • Ask • HR is PR and then good people might find you (Ryan Graves)
Interviewing people
• See how resourceful they are • Involve 3-4 people • Don’t put off negative decisions • Don’t settle for second best
Hiring people
• Hire people that might scare you • Great people will do your work • Your company is the average of your team
Hiring people
• A Class people hire A Class people • B Class people hire C Class people
Keeping people
Culture
Culture
• It’s not rocket science • But is the everything you do and everything you don’t do
• Values • Mission • Unacceptable traits
Get inspired and keep inspired
Get inspired and keep inspired
Get inspired and keep inspired
Get inspired and keep inspired
Get inspired and keep inspired
Get inspired and keep inspired