Chapter 6

Team

A startup’s founding team is the number-one determining factor of a startup’s success or failure. That’s why investors look for great teams first and foremost. The people behind the curtain are so important because the startup will encounter dozens of roadblocks and potholes. When these setbacks happen, the founders make decisions that will determine the fate of the company. Good decisions will lead to forward progress, but a few bad decisions can doom the company.

This chapter will help you understand why you should probably wait to partner, how to put together a powerhouse founding team, and best practices to make partnerships work.

Not So Fast, Partner

Get a Pre-Nup

ABCs of Hiring

Your Startup Is a Boat

The Build/Sell Team

Make Sure You’re Aligned

How to Get the Best People

Fire Yourself

You Are Not Scalable

Mess with the Vest, Die Like the Rest

Delegate, Don’t Abdicate

Form an Advisory Board

Who’s the Boss?

The Right Partner Formula

Hire Slow, Fire Fast

Sharing a Submarine

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