First things first, what is a startup?
Before delving into the anatomy of a startup team, first, you need to have a clear idea of what a startup means. In business, a startup refers to a new company established by one or more entrepreneurs to develop a revolutionary product or service that can be brought into the market. Startups are fairly common in ecommerce software development, such as companies like Redwerk and more.
Despite the seemingly authentic and promising foundation of a startup, it usually starts on a shoestring operation, funded by the owners themselves or their friends and/or families. This is why among the first objectives of a startup is to accumulate money large enough to further develop its products – anchored by a strong argument that proves its claim of becoming a pioneer of future useful products and/or improvements in the market.
What forms a successful startup team?
To ensure that your startup reaches success, there are four major factors commonly considered – industry skills, viable product, experience, and most of all, tremendous amounts of passion. According to a study by the Academy of Management of 95 new startups in the Netherlands, teams with average levels of experience but with increased levels of collective vision and passion exhibited significantly stronger performance.
However, passion alone won’t be enough. Here are three tips on how to find the right startup members that can bring your business to the top:
- It should start with YOU
Self-awareness is key – and a formidable startup team starts with no one else but you. Equally, your soft skills are just as important, with 77% of employers agreeing to that. What forms your soft skills include your beliefs, values, and personality, among others, which are things you should deeply consider before finding a team to work with.
- Think long-term
Sure, the reason you’re forming a team is because of your startup, right? However, remember that the startup phase of your business is temporary, which means that your team should mimic (or at least be inspired by) an entire organizational structure. You can start by listing all the different departments you need, and filter the functions that you REALLY need at the moment to gradually transform your vision into a reality.
- Your team should be diverse, but should nonetheless get along
Imagine a team with members exhibiting the same personalities, work ethic, and motivations – they literally think the same way. While this might appeal to some, this won’t work in a startup. Your team should be diverse enough to maximize everyone’s creative juices, to have different strengths and weaknesses that lead to your team’s equilibrium.
Does he/she belong in your startup?
Let’s be honest, investing in startups can be risky – after all, they have no history and little profit to show. This is why even the most successful tech startups are only as strong as their startup teams – and this statement goes to show the importance of choosing the right team members that will form your startup, and here are six roles you should DEFINITELY fill in:
- The Growth Hacker
With a knack for finding the best practices in marketing, the growth hacker is the one responsible for promoting the products and/or services of the startup. He or she should have a clear understanding of how customers think, what they want, and how the startup can find a common ground.
- The Happiness Hero
The happiness hero should be the most sympathizing member of the startup team, as he or she is the one responsible for handling customer concerns and inquiries. He should be able to ease the customers’ frustrations when the startup’s products and/or services aren’t working as expected.
- The Operational Leader
A member that works hand in hand with the visionary, the operational leader is the one responsible for running the startup like a real business. He translates the startup’s vision into reality – by establishing targets, creating a business strategy, establishing internal processes, identifying each member’s roles and responsibilities, managing forecasts and finances, and ensuring that the timelines are followed, among others.
- The Product Wizard
A talented inventor and visualizer, the product wizard is the one who comes up with the startup’s products and/or services. He should be technically-focused and must be fully aware of the inner nuances and workings that come with product development. The product wizard should also have a clear understanding of customer feedback which can be used as the foundation for further product enhancements.
- The Sales Master
In charge of conversions and managing leads, the sales master holds one of the most essential roles in a startup company.
- The Visionary
Just as his title, the visionary sets the company’s vision, one who has a clear idea of how his envisioned product can “transform” the world. Aside from working as the startup’s guiding force, the visionary should also be the member that motivates the team to do their best work.
