There’s this refrain making the rounds that goes something like this:
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Startup hiring practices are…
- Find undiscovered talent
- Convince pros to work for less
- Build a mediocre team
- Overpay for resources
Everyone says they’re practicing 1 and 2 but always end up doing 3 and 4.
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I think it’s an overly simplistic, cynical view of how early stage companies build. The reality is that convincing someone to bet their livelihood on your business idea is insanely hard. Add student loans, a mortgage, or children, it’s a leap that most are not able to make regardless of the possibility for a large financial payoff in the end.
I still consider the fact that my cofounder and I persuaded 28 other folks into joining our mission as one of our greatest accomplishments. In the early stages of building a company, the people you choose will define your success. As a founder, I was acutely aware of being responsible for my team’s financial stability which, by application impacted their wellbeing as well as that of their kids, spouse or extended family. This was always in the forefront of my mind in any of my decision-making processes.
These days it’s somewhat cliche to talk about startup missions, but I do genuinely believe it’s the only way to attract early talent. At the core, a founder needs to find people with the same spark of passion for the genesis of the company. Only then will staff endure all the hell and chaos that is inherently the startup lifecycle.
