The Secrets to Building a Great Team for Your Startup

You’re a founder and you’re going to change the world, but you can’t change the world on your own.  In fact, if you are going to help your startup grow from a great idea into to something which can change people’s lives, then you will need a team.

How can you build a team – especially if you have never built one before? The answer lies in surrounding yourself with the right people and here on some tips to help you know if your efforts to build a great team for your startup are working.

Make Sure Everyone is Working Together

Building a team means that you are putting together a group which is better than the sum of its parts. Look at any championship team, sure they have superstars but it’s the non-superstars which help the team to get to the top of the mountain.

The same is true when it comes to staffing up your startup as you need people who will not only shine at what they do but help everyone around them to be better. Only in this way can a startup team before more than the sum of its parts and achieving this fete is the mark of a truly great founder.

So, the first step you’ll need when building a great team for your startup is to make sure that everyone is working together. While this can be achieved through fear, it is probably more useful to rely on the passion of the project and maybe a bit of neurosis sprinkled in for good measure.  Sure, there will be times when your team will be at each other’s necks, but if you are helping to lead them, then the team will pull together to get the job done.

Have a Goal – Preferably to Win

When it comes to leading a startup, second place should never be considered good enough. Instead, your goal should be to win. Maybe not at all costs but you need to recognize that the competition in the startup community is fierce – be it for talent, funding, or customers.

As such, you should have as a goal something which can be used to rally your troops and drive them to new heights. Even if you don’t reach your goal, having one will help you and your team to learn from the journey and this can only strengthen your resolve going forward.

Inspiration is 99% Perspiration

While it is true that we live in an age where one can develop a world-changing algorithm and basically change the world; the reality is that it usually takes more than just a spark of inspiration to get there.

As such, you shouldn’t build a team that is all talent and no hustle. Instead, you want grinders. Sure, they need to know what they are doing but building up a startup takes a lot of work and this means that building a great team requires that you not only identify the brightest but the brightest who are willing to put into the hard work to make build something great.

Make Their Experience Frictionless

Since your trying to solve the customer’s problem, you should also be trying to make the work experience of your team as frictionless as possible. This starts by having a great HR person on your team and then it also means picking the right partners to help you manage everything related to your team from making sure payroll is processed correctly to using the right leave of absence software solution.

You might be asking why this is important? After all, you’re probably fighting just to keep the lights on. The reason is simple – without your team, you can’t build your startup. As such, maker their experience working with you as frictionless as possible and this will ensure that your team sticks with you.

Never Be Satisfied

This can be taxing, but the reality is that you need to always be on the lookout for a piece of the puzzle that will help your team grow. Sure, this might be hard on some members of your team – especially if your needs have outgrown what they can deliver. But as a founder you can never be satisfied, if you are then you might find out that one of your competitors has passed you by.

Lead from the Front

You’re running a startup, not General Motors and this means that you need to be seen leading charge. Even if you are not a great programmer or good with numbers, you need to show your team that you are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes. Doing so will inspire your team and this will make sure you are getting the best that everyone has to offer.

To change the world, you need a great team, and this means having the best players. While they don’t all have to superstars, they do need to be willing to put in the hard work needed to transform an idea into something which will make a difference in people’s lives.