October 10, 2024

My Startup Hiring Philosophy

I want to share something I’ve learned about hiring for startups.

It’s not complicated, but it’s been a game-changer for building our team.

Type of People I Look For

I look for people who would make great founders themselves, but who aren’t ready to take that leap yet.

Maybe they’ve got family commitments or they’re just more risk-averse.

That’s fine – it actually makes them perfect hires.

How to Keep People Happy

The trick is how you manage them.

These people need to truly own their part of the business. I mean complete ownership, like it’s their own mini-startup within the company.

Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Don’t micromanage them
  2. Don’t try to control their decisions
  3. Don’t restrict their creativity

If you start getting controlling, they’ll leave. And they should – that’s not what they signed up for.

Why This Matters

When you give people this kind of freedom, it creates an incredible culture.

It’s really that simple – find great people who could be founders, give them space to build, and watch what happens.