Presentation on building great early stage teams given at Boston's 2010 Founder Institute

1. Building Great Early-Stage Teams

2. Who the hell is this guy? Technologist, Creator, Connector, Advisor, Mentor.

3. Once upon a time… Betahouse, Serendipity, Diligence, Love, Viximo.

4. Always Be Hiring Desperate for talent, constant search. Never, ever stop.

5. Understand alignment Thinking about your tactical needs is wrong. Think about goals, characteristics, your match.

6. Define a match Core values, skills, goals. Athlete, Customer-centric, Communication, Initiative.

7. Build a nest Create the position your ideal candidate is seeking. Flexibility in the role, Opportunity beyond tasks.

8. Be insanely picky Intensity breeds Intimacy, Commitment breeds Longevity. Who do you want in your foxhole?

9. Identify sturdy branches Each hire links and supports many subsequent hires. Earliest hires nearest to the trunk, define growth potential.

10. Measuring your success Production, Recruiting, Closing, Retention A players hire A players, “Team” is sticky

11. A word about tech folks High demand, different motivations. Figure out how to network where they play.

12. So, that was a nice fairy tale and all… Great people are rare and in high demand. Comprise, Frankensteining, “Potential”, Try-before-you-buy.

13. Find someone to admire …study them, and then beat them at their own game

14. Questions? Fire away. I can take it.