Investors know startup success is highly correlated with team quality.
Co-founder relationships are among the most important relationships in a startup. Friction and blow-ups between them are the number one cause of a startup's early death. Choosing a co-founder requires as much scrutiny as when hiring a new employee.
When should you begin to hire for your startup? Only when you have a desperate need to do so. Getting everything done with the smallest team possible should be the goal as that will keep your burn rate (total monthly operating costs) low.
Recruiting the very best employees takes a great deal of effort and is not a quick endeavor. So, what attributes should you look for in a candidate and where can you source these candidates?
Below are a few videos that walk you through these concepts and more.
The Essentials of Hiring an Exceptional Startup Team (Greylock Partners)
What does it mean to be exceptional at recruiting?
Team and Execution (Y Combinator)
- How to hire and how to execute
- Carefully choosing your co-founder
Employment Issues for Startups: Hiring (Orrick)
How to classify employees, offer letters, bonus language and proper documentation