How to find the right team for a startup?
Finding a right team for my startup venture has been the biggest challenge for me. How can I overcome this?? If I have fewer contacts, like-minded friends and peers
Expert Answers
Sort by Date
Sort by Votes
Jun 20, 2014
I had problems like this when I was starting out. Join communities like forums and blogs, get to know people, if you see skills you need, get friendly with them, build a relationship then approach them.
Mosaichub is also a valuable source of skills, you're already a member, so use it :)
Jun 20, 2014
Define team. Is that advisers or management team?
If an advisory board, why not tap into the available resources at SCORE? Otherwise, yes network local community and trade associations. But understand you need insurance, accounting, banking and legal advisers at a minimum.
UPDATE: Sorry I didn't check out your profile first. I just noticed you are in India. In that case SCORE is irrelevant to you. However, the organization is a group of retired executives with expertise in a variety of functional areas of business. I believe you can find retired executives in India. But Dave is correct use groups like these or other social media networks like LinkedIn.
If it is management team, then you need the following:
1.) Clear description of the goals, challenges and strategy of the business.
2.) Core values of the business
3.) Will they be equity partners in the business or just employees? If equity partners how, how much, etc.?
4.) Clearly defined strengths and weaknesses. You want partners ... even employees ... whose strengths minimize your weaknesses. You also want people who have expertise in functional areas of the business and industry.
5.) Well defined job descriptions
6.) Employment and partnership contracts
Use the above as your guide posts as you network and talk to potential employees/partners. Take your time. No need to rush.
Jun 20, 2014
I would advise to find character and then build skills. What's most important is attitude and will.
Jun 22, 2014
I am with you 100% Cyril. You can teach skills and you can mold character, but character is more difficult, takes longer and usually returns to its original form after some time.
Jun 20, 2014
Try networking events in your area, particularly ones that specialize in the areas you are looking for (engineering, for example), meetups and reaching out to everyone you know to see who they know. Also, depending on where you live, there are incubators that can assist in finding resources as well as companies that provide space to start-ups and small companies that don't want the overhead of paying for their own location. Try seeing if you can get a tour of one of those spaces, collect business cards and reach out to network with those people. Let them know you are looking for any contacts they have who are looking for a new opportunity.
Jun 20, 2014
While I think that the advice Dave and Rachel offered does a good job of answering your initial question, I want to make sure you've asked yourself the why and the who of hiring.
While important ot hire people, make sure not to do so before your product is at a stage where it makes sense to significantly expand. I've made the mistake before of hiring and contracting work for a product that wasn't ready for it, and it's hurt.
Jun 20, 2014
Unfortunately there is not a real cure for this problem, the biggest thing you have to deal with is people who say they are qualified to do the job yet are not. During the startup phase the most important thing is making sure that you keep everything organized. If you are a production company, or a distributor, the thing you have to worry about is keeping inventory organized. What I have found is that few people know how to organize. So the only thing I can tell you is that you are going to have to feel your way through. You will be able to discern who is capable and who is not. As soon as you see that a person can't get the job done they need to be replaced.
There are going to be many people that come to the table that claim they have the psychological, leadership, values and capabilities that are aligned with your own, but in reality they are just telling you what they think you ant to hear in order to get the job.
Aug 27, 2018
Honestly, it depends on the nature of the startup business you want to engage in and the specifics of the product you want to develop.
Focus on finding the right communities and networks and sign up for freelancer sites. There you can make some contacts and outsource some of your work tasks. Additionally, you can browse for the right forums and chat rooms; Telegraph channels offer very solid leads and information on particular topics.
Jun 20, 2014
If you do not have any colleagues that would like to join you in your new venture then I would go to one or more of the technology meet up's to see if there are some like minded individuals that have an interest in what you are doing there.
Jun 20, 2014
First you need to fill in the gaps. There are some key positions you need to fill up ( considering you are trying to start any e-business ).
Obviously you need a vision to start with. However following are three key positions you need to fill up.
1. UX Strategist
2. A good visual Designer
3. A good developer
Also nothing can be started without spending any penny. You definitely have to spend some money in marketing and to find a good resource.
If you do not want to spend any money, work hard on a concept on your own. Publish your idea on Kickstarter or some place similar,
Jun 20, 2014
Hi there Shakti, this is a great question. I work for IBM's Smarter Workforce Group. We are the number one Talent Management Software provider by a very large margin with customers such as Bank of America, Dell, eBay, PayPal, etc... I'd love to talk with about using prehire assessments both skills and behavioral testing to identify the top talent in your field. Can you contact me next week? If so I'll show why we're number one and how you can install a WORLD CLASS hiring process.
Sincerely,
Hawk Hopkins
IBM - Sr. Sales Executive
Jun 20, 2014
One thing you can do is identify key people in the space and offer them an entry level incentive in dividends or stock in the venture. This motivates people who are willing to bet on their own success versus on your potential failure.
Having worked on well over a hundred start ups I can say that you get a better crop of motivated people for less money than sitting everyone done and telling them that the operation is on a shoestring.
Jun 20, 2014
learn how to read resumes and develop a set of questions that are the same for each candidate.
Jun 20, 2014
Shakti, there are a couple of variables here.
First, if you are raising money, then the "pedigree" of the people you bring on is more important than if you are self-funding.
In either case, finding people that will work for upside compensation (for at least a part of their package) is essential. If they are just working for a salary, they are not vested emotionally.
Second, having a team that has worked together before and that already trust one another (as well as know each others strengths and weaknesses) is critical.
And back to the first point, hiring pedigree for pedigree's sake is not a good idea. Entrepreneurial experience is way more important than a big brand name.
Read eMyth Revisited. http://www.michaelegerbercompanies.com/resources/products/the-e-myth-revisited/
Best to hire from the top down - people who can do many things, versus hiring specifically for a certain role. Then as you grown, have them write the job descriptions and hire to the more specific tasks.
If I can't help, I'm happy to.
Jun 20, 2014
Right team means Right aspiration. If you can have people similar to your energies and conviction.. rest you can make your own way..
Jun 20, 2014
It's not so easy to find right members. What i suggest you is to analyse members through online. There were lots of source available like linkedin, mosaic hub, freelancer, etc.. Look at their skills, try to connect with them. Hope you can find the right person who meet up your startup :)
Jun 20, 2014
If you are a USA citizen use the Senior Core of Retired Executives (SCORE)
Check with the Chamber of Commerce
Find Funders that invest in your Industry/Sector/Technology
Check with the various universities that offer Entrepreneur Degrees/Certificate Programs
I may be interested in Joint Venturing with you or being a part of your Start-up because I'm always looking to do good sound business. Feel free to private message me.
Jun 20, 2014
Depends on what you are doing. Identify those that have the psychological, leadership, values and capabilities that are aligned with your own. Each need to be of a different and complimentary skillset. There are professional assessments that will identify the traits that you require.
Jun 20, 2014
If not having broad network, you should contact the associations or network teams of your industry for potential industry applicants.
Bennett Cowper
Jun 20, 2014
Hello shakti , I don"t know what kind of venture you want to make , but the right team for you can be found from the same activities or there are consultants specialized in the same field , So you have to find out people connected to the same activity .
Jun 20, 2014
Make absolutely sure that people you are considering share your PASSION for the venture and are willing and able to work diligently for little or no pay. Be sure the PERSONAL CHEMISTRY between or among you and your team will withstand the stresses and strains you will all likely experience.
Cyril, I love this. I hire this way. People ask why I dont hire the reason with the most drive. My answer I want long term. character, passion, the excitement of learning something is what I look for. It is hard sometime however, longevity, appreciation, and commitment . It reflects in my sales and profitability.