The idea or the team? There has long been a debate about what is more important: the idea or the team? For me, it's undoubtedly the team! A strong team can overcome any challenges and find the right product and model that will work. We in Mento vc have a checklist where we score each point (from 0 to 5). There is no rule on how many points need to be scored. It’s more for us to ensure we don't forget to look at certain aspects. 1. Founders' experience. Have they built a business before, and to what scale. 2. Industry experience. Do they have experience specifically in the field where they are developing the project. 3. Intelligibility. This is our subjective criterion and can't be quantified 🙂 4. Personality (Match). How well do we fit together? We invest with a horizon of 3-4 years (minimum), which means a long-term partnership. If things don’t click now, it will be difficult moving forward. 5. Team. Who is already on board and what is their background? 6. Location. Where are the team and the founders based. Are the founders located in the primary market for their project. Have you ever analyzed your own or someone else's project from the perspective of the team? Share your thoughts in the comments 👇
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Every founder faces lots of decisions as a company is starting up. None are more important than building the first team. So as we built the @atono team, I drew on past lessons I have learned over the years from other startups - and I'd love to hear your thoughts and advice -- 🧑 Recruit people, not employees. Pay attention to people for who they are entirely, not just their track record or perceived abilities. Do they have a deep sense of integrity? Do they work well on a team? Honest? Recruit to match the attributes you value the most, and do not compromise. 🙇 Humility > Smarts Intelligence without humility = arrogance. And if you have a big ego, being right may become more important than our success. A humble (or coachable) person, on the other hand, is not ruled by ego. They treat everyone on the team respectfully and see success as a collective effort. 🧠 Smarts > Effort Sometimes working hard isn’t working smart, and working smart may become an excuse to polish a cannonball that is never fired. The balance is to look for intelligent people who can weigh the benefits of going faster and doing something right. 💪 GSD > Blah blah blah Don't look for the gift of gab. Look past someone's ability to justify, rationalize, run a meeting, or speak to fancy slides. Find people who can get stuff done. 🚀 Potential > Experience I choose upside over history. Trusting a capable person, regardless of their years of experience, with areas of real responsibility yields spectacular results - epic wins and failures. Team builders - what else do you look for in a candidate?
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We've all experienced that exhilarating rush of ideas when the prospect of launching a new product fills us with enthusiasm. However, it's no secret that we can often find ourselves hitting roadblocks along the way. Trust me, I've been there too, and I can genuinely relate to the frustration 🙂. In navigating these challenges, I've developed an 8-step approach called InVest8 which has proven to be a valuable tool for overcoming obstacles and achieving successful product launches. I realized the importance of both self-learning and connecting with experienced individuals who've walked this path before. It's not about having an extensive track record of significant investment right from the start. Even if you're someone like me, who's relatively new to the process, there's a starting point for everyone. Remember, every seasoned expert was once a beginner, just like us. As we embark on this exciting journey, we can lay the foundation for success and assemble the right team as we progress. So, let's embrace this beginning with humility and enthusiasm. buildspace Nights & Weekends Farza Majeed
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A tough couple of weeks as a founder: The past few weeks have been a lot to handle; Here is what I said to myself, Adebisi: building a startup is tough, but it's worth every sleepless night, setback, VC rejection, employee departure, and challenge that comes your way. Dear founder also having a tough time, Here is a quick reminder: ● You are not alone. It happens to the best of us. ● You're not just building a product or company; you're shaping the future and changing lives. Here are some tips to help you through the tough times: 📌 Just breathe and relax: It's okay to pause, process your emotions, and not do anything. 📌 Stay focused on your dream and vision: Keep your dream and vision front and center in your mind, and it will help you through the tough times. 📌 Do retrospectives and readjust if you need to: It’s important to regularly take a step back and assess your progress. 📌Celebrate small wins: It’s easy to get caught up in the big picture and lose sight of the small progress you’re making. 📌 Trust your team: If you’ve hired a great team, trust them to do their part. Don’t micromanage or try to do everything yourself. Don’t give up yet, keep pushing forward, and keep changing the world one solution at a time. 😃 Cheers, Your Fellow Founder 💚
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MD of Shemrock & Shemford Group of Schools ~40,000 Followers | Follow me if you are interested in EdTech | Early Childhood Education | Tech | Schools | Startups | Franchising | CBSE | ICSE | Preschools| Technology | K12|
Building a top-tier team is one of the most challenging aspects of entrepreneurship. My time is largely consumed by scouting talent and nurturing existing team members. Finding the right people is a complex task. Posting a job on LinkedIn doesn't guarantee applicants with the necessary skills - these individuals rarely seek out opportunities, they need to be found. Evaluating potential team members adds layers of complexity. Judging hard skills like engineering might be straightforward for someone from a similar background, but identifying excellence in less familiar roles, such as sales or marketing, is a demanding task. Your vision is the glue that holds great talent together. You need to articulate it convincingly. In today's tech-driven economy, there's more money than talent. Thus, recruiting top talent is harder than securing funds. High-quality candidates have countless opportunities, making it challenging to persuade them to join your mission. Enough about my experiences, let's hear yours. What are your top tips for building a winning team? What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them in assembling your ideal team? Comment below and let's learn from each other's experiences.
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Hey, founders, let's talk about the foundation of building a great company: falling in love with a problem. I'll be honest. I never fell in love with a problem that kept me up at night, and I was never obsessed with finding a solution. For me, it was always about the art of the deal and the people involved. Could I help recruit and build a team passionate enough to tackle the problem head-on? That's where my heart lay—in the art of the deal and leveraging my experience and network to support the company and team. But for founders looking to build a large company, finding that one problem that grabs you is crucial. And remember, not all simple ideas can be great. So, how do you zero in on a problem worth your time? Here's a few thoughts: 1. You can't stop thinking about it: Forget science for a moment. If there's an idea you can't shake off, that might just be it. Follow that gut feeling. It's the hunger you'll need when the initial excitement fades, and the real work begins. 2. Potential to be big: The problem should matter to others, not just you. Imagine creating something universal, something everyone with an internet connection would find indispensable—even if they don't know it yet. 3. You feel challenged: Dive into areas where you'll grow the most. Tackling complex issues can lead to solutions and scalability, keeping you stimulated and engaged. Embrace mistakes—they're your greatest teachers. Ask yourself, where will I be challenged the most? Building a company is no small feat. It demands a problem that intrigues and compels you to work on it, a challenge that promises growth and learning for years to come. New founders, pick your battles; choose wisely. The path begins with the right problem.
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Vice President @ Rathinam Group of Institutions | Growth Marketing| CEO @AICRAISE Business Incubator |
Balancing big roles and leading different companies sounds Exciting! (but it also brings some tough problems) Having lots to do is the major problem when managing everything If you try to manage everything alone that makes you tired and stressed. To fix this,Build a supportive team that helps you avoid feeling alone when managing everything. Share Tasks: - Give responsibilities to a capable team. Smart Systems: - Use efficient methods and technology for smoother work. Team Support: - Encourage open communication and teamwork to avoid feeling alone. In the world of starting and running different ventures, Finding smart solutions isn't just important—it's the key to making everything work. Always learn and adapt to tackle challenges in running multiple businesses. Follow Dr Nagaraj Balakrishnan for more #EntrepreneurialChallenges #TeamBuilding
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Being a founder is not just about having a killer idea or an impressive tech stack. Talking to founders weekly, I believe it's also about mastering the soft skills that help you with the ups and downs of running a startup. Here are the top 10 soft skills with do’s and dont's: 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Do convey your message clearly Don’t overwhelm your team with unnecessary information 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 Do value your team's and customers' perspectives Don't ignore others’ feelings 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 Do change your approach to circumstances Don’t be rigid; it can hinder growth 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐭 Do come back from setbacks stronger than before Don’t dwell on failures. Learn from them and move on quickly 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 Do invest time in finding the right people Don’t micromanage! Trust your team to do their jobs 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Do stay organized! Finish projects in a reasonable time period Don’t waste time! Avoid getting bogged down by non-essential tasks 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 Do think outside the box for innovative solutions Don’t rely on the same solutions 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 Do work well with others and maintain valuable relationships Don’t burn bridges! Always maintain professionalism 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 Do inspire your team through your actions Don’t ignore collaborations and feedbacks 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Do keep your mission at the forefront of your decisions Don’t lose sight of your goals Master these, and you'll be unstoppable. What am I missing? --- ♻ Repost to help your network reach its full potential. And follow Peter Korbel for more content!
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How my life is going with a team? For the first 12 months I worked solely, but recently hired a team! I used to think I could do everything myself. But you can't go it alone forever, as the saying goes: 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.' As a solo entrepreneur, we all wear many hats and believe in handling everything by ourselves. But it doesn’t work that way, right? The game changed when I decided to bring a team on board. It wasn't just about sharing the workload but also about trusting others with my vision. I was apprehensive at first, but my team has surpassed my expectations. They’ve embraced the same level of dedication and perfectionism that I once held as a solo entrepreneur. Watching them take ownership and innovate has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Together, we’re not just working; we’re growing, learning, and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve. The power of collaboration has transformed my approach and elevated our results. To all the founders out there, don't hesitate to build your team. The right people can turn your vision into reality and take it to heights you never imagined. So yeah, this is how my life is going with the team! It's been very rewarding. How is your teamwork going? Let me know in the comment box! Follow Sudhir Mulchandani & Brew Wealth for more such content! #teamManagement #investments #teamWork #inspiration
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Backing brilliant B2B founders 🦓 in Southeast Asia | Co-founder at Tin Men Capital | Linkedin Top Voice
When we back founders, we’re looking for these things: 1/ Conviction in their own business - This might sound like a given, but some founders may not be in it for the right reasons - If they’re only in it for a quick buck, they typically cave at the first hint of challenges - Investing actual dollars into their vision and staying the course when their chips are down are some clear indicators of conviction. 2/ Maturity to admit blind spots - There’s a fine line between confidence and hubris. - We want the former and avoid the latter. - The former creates the space for engaging conversations focused on harnessing what their team and investors can offer. 3/ Clear understanding of their industries - They typically have valuable career experience - Their articulation of their problem is clear and validated by customers - They’re able to go deep into industry topics and handle questions 4/ Transparency and honesty - Sharing challenges is one of the toughest things to do. - The upside is that founders can “bring others (including investors) into the tent and surmount challenges together. 5/ Resilient when faced with challenges - They handle stress well and do not project it on team members - They learn from challenges and avoid making the same mistakes a second time. I can’t stress this enough. The quality of founders greatly impact the success of any venture. Apart from the business model and addressable market, founder selection is one of the key criteria we consider. Markets will continue evolve, but formidable founders will always be able to adapt quickly. Agree?
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Founder of DeHub - India's No. 2 Community for Architects | SpaceMush, Designing Small Spaces in Chennai | Co Founder - | intoAEC by Siara Tech Solutions | Advisor - Building Construction Media Company, Chennai
(Not a political post!) Some say, that the most difficult part of any business is building the team. Many disagree to this because on paper it looks easy on the eye! Making the team see the vision you have. It starts with identifying people who have a similar vision as you. Even if they don't share the vision at the start, making them believe in the vision and making them work as a team for the common goal. It's that simple to read and understand! Infact, The ventures that Crack this simple formula are unstoppable. But on the other side, it's one of the toughest to implement. Because, most of the ventures get stopped due to the lack of this team which sees the vision. In my journey so far, I have seen both the ends of the spectrum. I have been extremely successful whenever I built this team. I've alos failed miserably when I failed to build this team. There is no secret formula or one single solution. If it were everyone would Crack it everytime! This is the most interesting part of building ventures. Team Building! Another interesting fact - One member can make a team great or break the team. Irony is You never who that one person is. Figuring out which side each team member is gonna bend - the make side or break side is an exciting and draining task while we are trying to build something. and remember, you gotta be positive all the while and be the one motivating everyone and taking the hit everytime! This is why many feel it's a tough task. Read the first two lines again and it would make sense now!
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