Startup Founders' advice for building your perfect team | Had to Ask

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the critical role of building a strong team in a startup's success, highlighting the importance of hiring individuals with complementary skills and a shared vision. They stress the value of diversity, open communication, and conflict resolution in fostering a collaborative environment. The founder's role in selling the company's vision and creating a culture that empowers employees is also discussed, along with the significance of intellectual curiosity and the challenges of maintaining a small, agile team.

Takeaways

• 🤝 Building a strong team is critical for a startup's success, especially when bootstrapped.
• 🧩 The importance of having a diverse team with complementary skills to avoid mistakes and enhance problem-solving.
• 🤔 Hiring for roles that require not just technical skills but also communication and problem-solving abilities.
• 🌟 Emphasizing the need for a founder to sell their vision to both customers and team members.
• ⚡ Cutting out 'cancer' quickly, whether it's a person, customer, or business partner, to protect the company's culture and mission.
• 🤝 The necessity of a team that is passionate and committed to the company's vision and goals.
• 👪 Fostering a family-like culture where employees feel a sense of belonging and ownership.
• 💡 Encouraging intellectual curiosity and the desire to understand and solve problems among team members.
• 🔥 The value of being mission-driven and creating a community that supports each other's growth and success.
• 🌱 Emphasizing the importance of knowing employees on a human level to understand their personality and communication style.

Q & A

What does the speaker value most about their team members?

The speaker values the moments of connection and problem-solving with team members, emphasizing the importance of a team that shares the same vision and passion.

Why is building a team considered critical in a startup, according to the speaker?

Building a team is critical because it can make a significant difference in the success of a startup, especially when the company is bootstrapped and lacks a diverse skill set.

What role does the speaker believe the founder should play in a startup?

The speaker believes the founder should sell the vision to both customers and team members, motivate and connect with them, and empower them to contribute to the company's mission.

How does the speaker handle conflicts within the team?

The speaker encourages open arguments and discussions, aiming for quick resolutions without letting conflicts linger, which helps maintain a healthy and collaborative team environment.

Why is diversity important in a team according to the speaker?

Diversity is important because it brings different opinions, values, and life experiences, which can lead to fewer mistakes and a more robust decision-making process.

What does the speaker mean by 'cutting out cancer' in the context of a startup?

The speaker refers to identifying and removing individuals who are detrimental to the company, whether they are team members, customers, or business partners, to protect the startup's health.

How does the speaker approach hiring for their startup?

The speaker looks for individuals with good communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and a willingness to be empowered and coached, rather than just focusing on specific job-related skills.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of team alignment with company values?

The speaker believes that team members should align with the company's values and mission, which is crucial for a successful and collaborative team.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of knowing employees on a human level?

Knowing employees on a human level helps in understanding their personality types and communication styles, which is essential for effective team collaboration and leadership.

What does the speaker suggest about the size of the team they prefer to work with?

The speaker prefers a smaller team size, appreciating the camaraderie and the ability to maintain a close-knit, collaborative environment.

How does the speaker feel about the team they have built?

The speaker feels proud and fulfilled by the team they have built, highlighting the team's alignment with the company's mission, collaboration, and competence.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Building a Strong Team for Startup Success

The speaker emphasizes the importance of connecting with team members and solving challenges together, which is crucial for a startup's success. They highlight the significance of focusing on team building from the early stages, as it is one of the most critical and challenging aspects, especially for bootstrapped companies. The speaker, with an engineering background, stresses the necessity of having a diverse team with complementary skills, including business and financial acumen. They discuss the importance of hiring people with good communication and problem-solving skills, and empowering them. The speaker also talks about the need to sell the company's vision to both customers and employees, and the importance of quickly identifying and removing any 'cancer' that could harm the company. They conclude by stressing the importance of having a passionate and diverse team to overcome hurdles and achieve success.

05:02

🌟 Fostering a Supportive and Mission-Driven Team Culture

The speaker discusses the value of creating a community within the team where members help each other and contribute to a common goal. They mention the importance of giving team members a sense of ownership and encouraging them to generate ideas for improvement. The speaker acknowledges the limitations of their experience with small teams and shares their positive and mission-driven team culture. They emphasize the importance of intellectual curiosity and finding answers to drive greatness. The speaker also talks about empowering team members to be the best version of themselves and providing opportunities for them to excel. They express pride in the team they've built and how it aligns with their company's values. The speaker also discusses the importance of understanding employees on a human level, using personality types like Myers-Briggs to improve communication and collaboration. They mention the benefits of having a team that has worked together through crises and the need for honest feedback. The speaker concludes by stressing the importance of surrounding oneself with honest and supportive individuals to prevent failure and avoid burnout.

Keywords

💡Team Building

Team building refers to the process of developing a cohesive and effective team within an organization. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the critical role of team building in a startup's success, highlighting the importance of assembling a group of individuals who are not only excited to work together but also bring diverse skills and perspectives. The speaker mentions that building a team is 'really critical' and one of the hardest things to do, especially for a bootstrapped startup, illustrating the concept through their own experience of bringing co-founders with different skill sets into the company.

💡Vision

Vision in the context of the video represents the guiding principles, goals, or aspirations that motivate a company and its employees. The speaker underscores the importance of selling this vision to both customers and team members, as it serves as a driving force behind the company's culture and direction. An example from the script is the speaker's recognition of the need to communicate their passion and vision clearly to ensure that new hires are aligned with the company's mission.

💡Communication Skills

Communication skills are the abilities to effectively express ideas, thoughts, and information in a manner that is easily understood. The video script mentions that when hiring, the speaker looks for individuals with good communication skills, as they are essential for problem-solving and collaboration within a team. This is exemplified by the speaker's belief that clear communication is vital for a team to work together seamlessly.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment in the video script refers to the process of giving individuals the authority and responsibility to make decisions and take action. The speaker discusses the importance of empowering team members by coaching and enabling them, which is a key aspect of leadership in driving the company's vision. An example is the speaker's approach to hiring, where they look to empower new hires to contribute to the company's mission.

💡Camaraderie

Camaraderie is the spirit of good-natured friendship and trust among a group of people. In the video, the speaker values camaraderie as a key component of their team's culture, noting that it fosters a sense of unity and support among team members. The speaker describes their team as having a 'sense of camaraderie' which contributes to the collaborative and supportive environment.

💡Diversity

Diversity in the context of the video refers to the range of different ideas, perspectives, and experiences that a team brings to an organization. The speaker mentions that having a diverse team can lead to fewer mistakes because it incorporates a broader range of opinions and life experiences. This is illustrated by the speaker's belief in the value of different viewpoints in problem-solving and decision-making.

💡Bootstrapped Startup

A bootstrapped startup is a company that is initially funded with the owner's personal finances or operating revenue rather than external investments. The speaker discusses the challenges of being a bootstrapped startup, particularly in terms of assembling a team with the necessary skills without external funding. This is exemplified by the speaker's mention of their own engineering background and the importance of having co-founders with complementary business and financial skills.

💡Intellectual Curiosity

Intellectual curiosity is the desire to learn, explore, and understand new ideas or subjects. The video script highlights intellectual curiosity as a trait the speaker values in their team members, as it drives them to seek out answers and solutions. The speaker describes star employees as being intellectually curious, which is linked to their drive for greatness and finding answers.

💡Cultural Fit

Cultural fit refers to how well an individual's values, beliefs, and behaviors align with the values and culture of an organization. The speaker in the video emphasizes the importance of cultural fit when building a team, noting that they want to work with people who share the company's values and mission. An example is the speaker's approach to hiring, where they prioritize candidates who are not just skilled but also a good cultural fit.

💡Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of addressing and resolving disagreements or disputes within a team. The speaker in the video discusses the importance of being able to argue and fight about issues within the team but then quickly come to a resolution without letting conflicts linger. This is illustrated by the speaker's belief that it's healthy to have disagreements as long as they are resolved efficiently.

💡Leadership

Leadership in the video is depicted as the ability to guide, influence, and inspire a team towards achieving a common goal. The speaker talks about the importance of good leadership in building a team and creating a community that supports each other. An example from the script is the speaker's emphasis on the leader's role in facilitating the team's work and ensuring they have what they need to succeed.

Highlights

The importance of connecting with team members and solving challenges together.

Emphasizing the early focus on building a strong team.

The criticality of having a diverse team with various skill sets.

The necessity of combining technical and business skills in a startup.

The value of avoiding mistakes by working with experienced co-founders.

Finding trustworthy individuals within your network for the team.

The hiring approach that focuses on communication, problem-solving, and empowerment.

The founder's role in selling the vision to both customers and employees.

The importance of quickly identifying and removing 'cancer' individuals.

The impact of having the right team and investors on a startup's success.

The belief in the success due to a group of like-minded people striving for the same goal.

The significance of a team's ability to resolve conflicts and work through challenges.

The advantage of having a diverse team to minimize mistakes.

The importance of building a family-like culture within the company.

The necessity of understanding employees on a human level for effective communication.

The challenge of building a successful team without the right complement of skills.

The founder's need to be passionate and solve real problems to build a committed team.

The importance of connecting with people on a personal level and being vulnerable.

The myth that people never leave startups in the first year and the reality of finding the right fit.

The role of good leadership in building a supportive community within the company.

The significance of giving employees a sense of ownership and involvement.

The founder's approach to facilitating and supporting the team's work.

The importance of intellectual curiosity in driving towards greatness.

The company's mission to empower employees to be the best version of themselves.

The founder's preference for a small team atmosphere and the sense of camaraderie.

The pride in building a team that aligns with the company's values and mission.

The use of Myers-Briggs personality types to understand and communicate with team members.

The importance of surrounding oneself with honest, critical feedback rather than 'yes' people.

The challenge of being 'always on' as a founder and the need for a supportive team.

Transcripts

the moment that you kind of connect with

one of your team members and kind of

like

if you really bought them you really

solve a challenge that's amazing and

that those are the moments that kind of

like really makes the difference for me

focus on the team very early on i would

say it's so about the team so i think

that's just really important is to have

a team of people

i'm so excited to work with my team

building your team is really critical

and probably one of the hardest things i

would say

as a startup company especially when

you're bootstrapped i have an

engineering background but then i mean

all the the business background with the

financials and all that stuff is

extremely important where i wouldn't

have brought the skill set along so it

was very important to to have taken

my co-founders into the startup as well

we've been able to avoid really easily

avoidable mistakes by working with

people who've been who's done what we've

done find those individuals that you

either work with or

are part of your network that you trust

i think when you're a hiring manager you

have to look through a different lens

and say

does this person have good communication

skills problem solving and do i want to

enable them and coach them and empower

them as a founder your biggest role is

really

about selling your vision not just to

the customers but also to people you're

bringing on to work for you

and that was one of the things i

recognized early on that

it is very critical to drive the ship

meaning the passion that i bring to the

table the vision that i want to share um

if that's not clear and

they're not on board with it the people

that you're bringing on

it's not going to work out if you see a

cancer and that could be a person a

customer or a business partner

you need to cut it out as quickly as

possible and that is really hard it

doesn't matter if you have an amazing

product but if you don't have the right

team or the right investors it can it

can destroy you and the company fairly

quickly and

year one

you know that is the

you're on life support i think having a

group of like-minded people that are all

striving for the same goal we always

felt like we would be successful we work

together very well and it can be it can

be chaotic at times you know there's as

much conflict as there is us agreeing

with each other but being able to go

through that process what i always say

is

it's very good that we're able to fight

you know and argue about things and then

come to a resolution very quickly and

not let it linger we know that when you

have a diverse team you're more likely

to make less mistakes because you have

more people adding their opinion their

value their life experience all of that

and so when we think about culture this

is something that's been important to us

like we're a family-run business we want

to run it like a family honestly so the

people that we choose to work with we

spend time with them getting to know

them not just for the work that they do

but who are they outside of this work if

you don't have

the

perfect team

you know that complement each other

and it brings different set of skills

the odds of you being successful are

relatively slimmer than

what already are so

be passionate

solve a real problem

and build

the best team you can because you will

run into a wall many times and only a

team

can overcome all these hurdles obstacles

etc it's like putting together the right

people to solve a real problem and

making sure that people are committed

early days to being like missionaries

that are just out there to learn and to

work together to like solve problem

after problem after problem there's no

way that you can command people tell

people what to do

just with you know saying it you need to

connect with people you need to motivate

people you need to connect them to the

vision people need to understand the why

and in order to do that

they need to connect with you personally

like you can't be distant from your

people that you work with and and if you

want to connect you need to be

vulnerable you need to share your

emotions failures whatever

you're gonna bring in people and they

may or may not be the right fit

that is another myth that's out there

that oh my god people never leave

startups in the first year and if they

do

it's a failure

but if it's that they weren't the right

fit or

they

realized that the company or startup

wasn't the right fit it happens and and

that's okay and i think that's the other

thing we don't talk about with founders

there's a whole other component of good

leadership around building a team and

being good to your employees being good

to your customers

and really building a community where

the community is helping each other and

we're creating and able to make a

difference for each other

you know just giving people that sense

of ownership

really helps in

feeling like you know this is their baby

as much as as much as it is mine and if

things are going

not so great for them to actually start

generating ideas for okay how can we

improve it although i do want to caveat

that with the fact that you know it is a

bootstrap company it's a it's a

relatively small team i don't really

have experience in leading big teams and

i think i would give a much different

answer if i was

for us it's really like super positive

super mission driven every person who's

on our team is here because they believe

that what we're building will actually

like change the world and we'll change

the lives of people like that they know

being intellectually curious is

something that i've also like really

seen in the star employees of our

founding team

it's this you know wanting to fix it

wanting to understand

and that's the intellectual curiosity

that drives you towards greatness and

you know finding the answers so

find people like that uh to keep them

around you

you know for us our our whole brand

statement is be your best and we want

everyone to be the best version of

themselves at work and

we got to empower them to do that

through you know giving them the

opportunities and trusting them to do

their job it's

feeding them when they're hungry um

you know we do as much as we can to make

sure that people are

happy satisfied and ultimately putting

up putting their best foot forward you

gotta you gotta serve right like the and

the i think the more established you are

as a leader and the greater the bigger

your team is and like the more

complicated the structure is underneath

you the more your job has to be focused

on facilitating what they're doing and

making sure

that they have what they need

for me the moments that are really

meaningful are the moments that i get

into the office and i look at all those

talented people that are spending time

with me and i kind of like i feel

humbled that such talented people

decided to dedicate their time

and their talent into solving this huge

challenge you know it's kind of like

what we are building suddenly i don't

feel alone like people joined this

mission i do enjoy this the small team

atmosphere um

i don't really have i want to create

like you know 100 200 company

i think that's a bit too big for me i

quite like it at kind of the small and

developing kind of stage and where

you're still kind of

scrappy a little bit but there's like

the sense of camaraderie is huge

building that camaraderie so i think

yeah i think the thing that makes me the

most proud is just the team that we've

built and how they all align with our

values i mean it's a really

collaborative supportive highly

competent group of people and that for

me is like the most fulfilling thing in

being an entrepreneur is building a team

of people that align around a mission

and you know work together

seamlessly it's a well-rounded thing and

i think we wouldn't be speaking to our

mission at all if we didn't know our

employees on a human level like if we

didn't know things about them we didn't

know what they liked what they disliked

we didn't know how to communicate with

them because we didn't take the time to

understand their personality type and so

on i guess what's really interesting is

obviously

myers-briggs kind of

where it's really well known is in the

workplace

so obviously it's quite it's a very big

focus for us and we know quite well we

know a lot about it

that we can kind of apply it to

yeah people in in the team and use that

to understand how they work as well for

a good startup it's either

family or

usually investors will look for people

that

have worked together

have known each other

have seen

dealing with crises

etc so we kind of took the shortcut

we're from the same family

and as you can see we still smile when

we talk

if you surround yourself with yes people

you're gonna fail

you have to surround yourself with

people that are not your family

that are not your closest friends and

they have to be you have to be honest

with yourself that if they tell you

something's off you listen and you know

you carry it forward as a founder

you're always on and it's um

it's a great thing but you will burn out

if you don't have that right support

around you

[Music]

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