Almost all startups have one of two kinds of teams: A strong team of “A” players, or a weak team with “B” and “C” players. Why this grouping? A people hire A and A+ people. A’s know their strengths, and have the confidence and fortitude to surround themselves with other high-quality individuals. On the other hand, B’s hire C’s because they hate to be upstaged and need to stroke their egos. As a company grows, like attracts like – A’s will attract A’s, and B’s will attract B’s and C’s. The stronger your team is, the easier it will be to get high quality people on board.
This ABC pattern is set extremely early in a company’s lifecycle. Expectations are often set as soon as the first two or three hires. Because this is so important, always be aware of who your company is hiring. You hold the ultimate veto on any new hire, so interviewing every person yourself is a great idea. If you sense the quality of your people is going downhill, figure out the cause and correct it immediately. A teams win in the marketplace, so take your time and build a team you can be proud of.
