Company founding - At it again
So, here we sit in an empty office, starting another company. Why do you found a company, you might wonder? Why not, we answer. How do you build a company? That response is longer than a mere sound bite.
The physical setup is quickly recounted. We sublet some space from our friends at liip. We’re grateful as this cuts through the laborious task of wiring a place, setting up Internet connectivity and getting a coffee machine. Thanks folks!
The toughest question is rather: On what kind of an intellectual, emotional and business footing do you want to ground your company? In our case we had the privilege to have worked together over at local.ch over the last four years. We wrote broadly on this over there.
You might question: What the fuzz? You are three guys in an office. Get your product done well and the rest you’ll see during the course of action! Well no, we beg to differ. Example: Two weeks ago we received a résumé. We were thrilled to see that at this early stage someone who we know only through the usual Internet watering holes often refered to a specific day of the week – “Web- {Day of the Week}” – wants to work for us at such early stages of our venture.
The trouble-free way is to look at this résumé, interview and if there's a fit, employ. A bit more laborious is to ask: What type of folks do you want to hire, what type of qualifications are you seeking, what is your people strategy? The first employees are of tremendous importance. If you mishandle the first appointments, you will seriously jeopardize your startup.
The first people in essence build the company together with you. In the moment your company steps into an accelerated growth path these folks are your essential leverage. The better they are, the better you will be able to sustain a high growth rate and create a sustainable longterm business.
We’re in for the long haul…
