Zaharo Tsekouras’ Post

Hiring for startups is DEFINITELY not a ‘cog in the wheel’ process. Yet all too often startup hiring managers get caught up in ‘the data’ of the process. They tick off skills and requirements and think that will guarantee the perfect hire while forgetting to trust the number one tool at hand – their intuition! Trust yourself. You’re hiring a team member to execute your mission, not an assembly line worker. 

I’m strongly against shiny job descriptions, especially in early-stage startups. When people hear titles like ‘VP’, they often assume they’ll manage many people, focus on strategy all day, and take their time. While in startups, regardless of your role, you need to get your hands dirty, work hard, embrace change, and iterate quickly. There’s a major upside if the company succeeds: You get significant stock options, and you have a good chance of becoming an exec in a large company if you’re good. But it can’t be your only motivation: You need to love that grind. The excitement of building something new. Learn a ton of stuff. Wearing many hats. That your opinion and your performance matter more. Expectation setting here is key, to avoid making the wrong match for the company and the candidate. P.S. - Jiga is hiring! Check out job openings on the company page.

As a founder, if you can only get one thing right, it should be to hire well. Hiring is an area over which you have significant control and one that greatly influences outcomes. Venturing into uncharted territories, your team is your strongest asset. You can either have a culture of excellence or settle into mediocrity. ✨ Excellence is intentional, swift, efficient, and compounding. ⏳ Mediocrity is expensive, slow, error-ridden and decaying. The founding teams of the best startups are filled with people who are just as capable, motivated and energized as the founders. After hiring, ask yourself: 🔍 Would you rehire this individual with your current knowledge? 💼 If they were to leave for a comparable role, would you fight to retain them? If you're not shouting 'yes' in response, it's time for candid discussions. #hiring #founders #saas

Putting together a team for a startup in 2022 was nothing short of a rollercoaster. As venture capital activity drastically decreased and many companies faced massive layoffs, we had to grapple with the new hiring realities. Top talent began prioritizing job security over generous ESOP programs, company swag, and quarterly retreats. Yet, even amid these challenges, we discovered ways to attract top talent. So, what's the recipe for success? 1️⃣ Strong Founder Background: A proven experience, reputation, and track record of founders significantly reduces the risk of early development. 2️⃣ Resilient Market: A market that is not heavily susceptible to budget cuts, deteriorating customer wallets, or external shocks, isolates factors that are outside of your control. 3️⃣ Value-driven Culture: Prioritizing open communication, transparency, and humility in day-to-day collaboration, not only when faced with challenges. 4️⃣ Visible Traction: Evidence from early customers that proves demand, even if primarily from service-based revenue. 5️⃣ A Vision Worth Fighting For: One that justifies the challenges every team member faces; it must truly be worth it. These principles helped us assemble a top-notch team at Othis. It is important to emphasize that we had the support from other founders and professionals in our hiring process. A special shoutout to Georg, Ferdinand, Thomas, and others who played crucial roles and vouched for us. Curious about the people behind Othis? Dive deeper into our team's ethos, culture, and ambitions in our latest 'About Us' blog post. Link in comments. #Othis #Hiring #FinTech #Startup 

As an early-stage startup founder, the task of building the dream team can be both exciting and daunting. In a market where layoffs are prevalent, you might think finding new talent would be easier. However, to make the right hires for your team, it's essential to stick to a well-defined system. Here's an overview of what to look for in an interview process: 🧠 Match natural talent to the right role: By deeply understanding these, we can match individuals to roles where they can thrive and perform at their best. This tailored approach empowers early employees to leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, and collaborate effectively. 🤝 Team Collaboration: Early-stage startups require individuals who are adept at problem-solving. We look for the "problem-solver", "builder & makers", low ego and those that see the forest over the trees. ⏰ Hiring for the Long-Term: In the midst of hiring complexities, sticking to our recruitment process is paramount. Rushing to fill a position might lead to hiring mistakes. We believe in finding the right team of early employees who are passionate about their roles and align with the startup's vision. Building a strong team is the cornerstone of any startup's success. #Hiring #recruiting

Founders, your startup deserves the best team. 💼 Partner with TableCrowd Talent to find top talent that drives success. 🚀 Your startup’s success starts with the right hires. 🧑💻 Trust TableCrowd Talent to find passionate and skilled professionals. 🔥 Founders, build a team that shares your drive. 🌟 Partner with TableCrowd Talent to hire the best talent. 🚀 Credit goes to Ramona Gohil ❤️ #founders #hiring

Have you heard of Organisational debt? It’s most common in startups that grow from a team of two to 100 employees + In the early days, founders often dash out grand titles like COO, CMO and CTO. Then when they start to scale they realise some of those people can’t grow to fulfill the role. It leads to awkward conversations such as demotions or letting people go. Remember, during the early days, “we were a family.” So it feels like firing friends. Quick tip, when hiring in a startup, don’t just hire for the need today, hire talent that can grow with you. PS. Not every individual contributor should be promoted to become managers either. I’ll save that for another post 😉

Fun fact, we have a bi-weekly newsletter breaking down actionable advice on some of the most important startup hiring topics? Straight talk, no BS, and a promise to keep it real and useful: https://bit.ly/AmysAve #founders #SaaS #startups #hiring #BuildWithATP ATP | High-precision executive search for startups

We keep hiring for Entourage left, right and center. And, a lot of roles come without an elaborate JD ;) I can be wrong, (we’re still trying that out), but when you’re building things from scratch, you need more people who “want” to do things and then people who “know” how to do things. - Doers > Thinkers - Dirty Hands > Fancy CVs - Been there, done that > Been there, here’s the certificate In simple terms, willingness & ability to get sh*t done! If you can be this person, trust me, founders will kill to have you onboard :) #hiring #business #startup