You know, as most entrepreneurs do, that a company is only as good as its people. The hard part is actually building the team that will embody your company's culture and propel you forward.
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Building a great team is the lifeblood of any startup, and finding great talent is one of the hardest and costliest tasks any CEO will ever face.
The most successful entrepreneurs tell you they have a great team. Lots of small-business owners let ego get in the way. Many people helped me along the way. You've got to remember the people who were loyal to you, and don't forget them when you become successful.
Since most startups operate at a break-neck pace, with a concept to prove or a product to launch within a rapidly shortening runway of financing, company culture often gets shoved aside. This is a big, big mistake: Nobody serious about their business should put culture in the corner.
Most phenomenal startup teams create businesses that ultimately fail. Why? They built something that nobody wanted.
The biggest challenge is to build the team and start the company, while hiring people, raising money, building a brand which has no history, all at the same time. You're doing a lot of things that in an established company are already done.
By definition, startups are not constrained by the limits of established company culture. And so they push boundaries and develop new technologies and ways of doing things.
Startup culture fosters laughter, debate, and a passionate, non-politically-correct focus on getting things done. And this startup of culture is something entrepreneurs struggle to maintain as the business grows. To ensure this environment continues, create a strong foundation and ensure everyone is on board.
Founding a company is hard. Most of it isn't smooth. You'll have to make very hard decisions. You have to fire a few people. Therefore, if you don't believe in your mission, giving up is easy. The majority of founders give up. But the best founders don't give up.
Ultimately, what any company does when it is successful is merely a lagging indicator of its existing culture.
I think whenever you come in, whenever you try to evolve a company, people will get nervous. But, if you articulate a clear vision, a clear mission to help them understand their roles in it and ask them to buy into the system, everyone will band together to make it happen.
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