The hardest part about building a startup!
https://medium.com/@Solidhire/the-hardest-part-about-building-a-startup-e2219ce07af9
Why someone would join the crazy ride that you are on - your Startup?
Why someone would join the crazy ride that you are on - your Startup?
Finding people that love the problem or people you're helping seems to be the most effective tool in attracting people to your cause, be it a business, volunteer effort or political action group. It creates a sense of shared purpose and provides meaningfulness to their work and lives. While more businesses lead with this type of info, I think it can still be overlooked. Sure there are many people that don't give a shit about what they do so long as they're paid.
But if you're a founder with a small team or making your first hires, it makes sense to hire someone that is personally, emotionally, or spiritually invested in what you're trying to do or who you're trying to help. When I see founders get vulnerable about why they do what they do, it's typically a powerful persuasive tactic.
I think you're mostly right. I have seen on a few occasions people that don't really care about the "why" but are still great at their jobs. They just have to be effectively placed within the system and dedicated to that which they're best suited. Sometimes I think that personal investment can be a double-edged sword because people can become overly focused on it and imbue their own ideas/agenda within their work. That can sometimes be at odds with the broader mission/problem/ solution.
Yeah, hiring employees who truly care about the product seems like a challenge. But I think the biggest challenge for most indie hackers is finding the right cofounder — one who truly loves the vision.
I can't tell you how many founders I know of who partnered with a cofounder who turned out to be less committed. It usually kills the company, or at a minimum causes a ton of issues in the business.
Do your homework. Check out their socials. What are their values? What are they passionate about? Who is their audience? You can learn a lot about whether they really care about your vision with a little bit of digging. And of course, ask them about it.
I've had a couple of projects fail because my cofounding team essentially dissolved. Most people aren't able to hold a vision for months on end without external validation (in the form of money or other accolades) especially now that we're so addicted to immediacy. I find that even people who say they're "insanely in love" with an idea, end up drifting unless there's something happening that's rewarding and overtly dopamine inducing.
I think rather than take someone's word for how in love with an idea they might be, ask them to point to other places in their lives where they are actively (and have been for years) working in that same realm. That will show internal motivation which is key.
It is definitely crazy to leave your cushion job to become a full-time entrepreneur. However, I believe that we can mitigate a bit the risks by analyzing the market first, before asking for investment or even building the MVP. I have interviewed dozens of bootstrappers and summarized their method in a step-by-step guide. Hopefully, this will help people avoid common mistakes and waste time in products that will hardly make money
Sure, your guide will definitely be very helpful for new entrepreneurs.
Indeed, its all about getting, retaining, managing people.
True. Attracting the right talent is the most important tho.
I don't want to sound like a dick, but maybe I could you with promoting your startup. I made a product that's supposed to help startups and new businesses, by improving SEO, providing valid backlinks, early feedback from users and helping you find potential customers and investors. There is a free version of it, and you don't have to put your credit card info. You can check it over here https://marketroadie.com/ .
I saw you say "They are insanely in love in..." multiple times.
What does being "insanely in love" in something result to?
Being consistent.
And that's the secret ingredient IMO.
I've seen stats like it takes months for a creator to make their first 10 bucks. After that, things take off exponentially there.
So one question to deff ask yourself is: "Can I stick with this for longer than 2 years without hating my guts?"
Sorry, I don't how does this help with getting the right talent for your startup
Yeah, that comment didn't pertain to hiring but I think it's super important for indie hackers.
I believe Sahil Lavingia of Gumroad said something like: Most people think entrepreneurship is about throwing a bunch of things against the wall and seeing what sticks, but it's actually about putting one thing on the wall and holding it there for 10 years.