Adriaan Kolff

Want A Players for your startup? Then you need to define what an A player actually would be for your company. An A player for one company is not an A Player for another. You need to know 😀 Your Company culture & what type of characteristics make it up 👩‍🏫 Your Management style & who you work best with & your blind spots 🏃‍♀️ The Role achievements - what do you want delivered in the role 👩‍🍳 How you want those achievements delivered - what behaviours should deliver these outcomes Then you can assess all candidates against these to find your A Players. Too often I talk with founders who take candidates from other successful startups & assume they can do the same. What are your thoughts on what makes an A Player for a startup? (Photo: aspirational padel A Player)

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💡 A Billionaire invested $150 million in a Startup company in 2012 “After we closed our Series C with the investor in 2012, we invited him to our office. We were in the Berlin room showing him various metrics of our growth. Midway through the conversation, I asked him what was the single most important piece of advice he had for us.” CEO of the Startup He simply said, "𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 …. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.” 👊 The Investor is 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥 and the Startup is 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐁𝐧𝐛. 🚀 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 A startup's culture is the core of the company, including its values, principles, behaviors, and social norms. Unlike physical assets or other company strategies, culture is an invisible force that evolves naturally with the startup. Do not remember this, It cannot be created or forced from the top down but it only evolves naturally with time. 🚀 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 In practical terms, culture is evident in everyday activities such as hiring practices, leadership, management, systems, processes, communication, office interactions, etc. Similarly, how employees communicate—whether through emails, meetings, or casual conversations—can reinforce or undermine the desired culture. 🚀 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 Despite its importance, culture is often overlooked as a metric by startup founders, who may focus more on financials, user growth, or other quantifiable indicators of success.  Companies that excel in maintaining a strong culture tend to outperform those that do not, as culture drives employee engagement, retention, and overall performance. 🚀 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 One of the biggest risks to a startup’s success is losing its culture, especially during rapid growth or after an acquisition. As observed in numerous startup exits, the most frequently asked question by investors is, "𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩?" The answer is almost invariably, "𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞." 🚀𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 Long after the founders and initial employees have moved out, a startup’s culture continues to shape its legacy. People may forget specific products, services, or financial achievements, but they will cherish the culture—the spirit of innovation, the collaborative atmosphere, the shared values that made the company a great place to work. 🚀𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 In the fast-paced, high-stakes world of startups, many factors contribute to a company's success or failure. But the culture is the invisible hand that shapes the company's trajectory, influencing every decision, interaction, and outcome. The culture is the collective mindset of all the stakeholders. 𝐒𝐨 “𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 … 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞” 👊

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If you want to help startup teams build a better future, then we have a great opportunity for a hungry and humble US full-stack AE 🇺🇸 We are growing fast and ramping up our team in the US! Cake values: Built on Trust: Fostering an environment of trust by being reliable, consistent, and transparent. We do what we say we’re going to do Strength in Diversity: We seek out diverse perspectives and lived experiences to support and enhance our purpose. Our product and our impact is amplified by our inclusive and supportive culture. Hungry & Humble: Ambitious & humble people can change the world. Real progress is made when all of us make a concerted effort to bring more to the table. That means moving faster, prioritizing correctly and supporting each other to grow. Own our Mission: Our unwavering commitment to our mission, our team health and our values will allow us to build a generational company that will change the future. Health as an Enabler: We invest into our mental and physical health to allow us to perform at our peak and bring our best selves to work.

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The Tebow Group, WaterStone, and Caplin Ventures are excited to officially announce the WaterStone Impact Fund. This is a new initiative that invests in faith-led founders who are solving big challenges while building high-growth companies with honorable cultures. This fund will make Seed and Series A investments into founders that have a unique focus on building companies using artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics, across a variety of industries. As technology evolves and makes an impact on human flourishing all over the world, we believe that faith-led founders have a unique role to play in the advancement of these initiatives. While we have all been gifted in different ways, we know that through our expertise, networks, and capital, we can generate a return that can serve the financial needs of the most vulnerable people (MVPs) around the globe. Because of this, we have committed the general partner's interest to help fuel the Tim Tebow Foundation, which will help bring faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. We’d like to thank WaterStone and the investors who believe in our mission — it’s a privilege to be on this journey with them. Tim Tebow, Ricky Caplin, Demi-Leigh Tebow, Tommy Martin, Ken R. Harrison, and I are excited for the journey ahead and know that this is only the beginning. If you’re a faith-led founder or investor, we’d love to partner with you! Learn more about the WaterStone Impact Fund here: https://lnkd.in/eVqS3mvi

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🚀 Attention Second-Time Founders! 🚀 Are you a seasoned entrepreneur with one successful venture under your belt and looking for your next big challenge? At Platform (platformstud.io), we believe in the power of experience and innovation. We’re on the lookout for second-time founders who are ready to tackle new problems and create impactful solutions. If you have a startup idea (or one incubated in-house) that addresses a real-world problem and the drive to see it through, we want to hear from you! Here's just a few reasons why you should share your idea with us: 🔹 Collaborative Environment: Join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and industry experts who are dedicated to making a difference. 🔹 Resources & Support: Gain access to top-notch resources, mentorship, and funding to accelerate your startup journey. 🔹 Impactful Solutions: Work on meaningful projects that solve pressing problems and make a real impact on society. Let's build something great together! Send your startup ideas to us and let's explore how we can turn your vision into reality. #Startup #Entrepreneurship #SecondTimeFounder #Innovation #Impact #VentureCapital #StartupIdeas Feel free to message me directly to get started! Looking forward to hearing your brilliant ideas! 🌟

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2024 is more than half way through already. Here’s some interesting data from PitchBook: 👉🏻 AI investments drive 47% increase in US VC funding in Q2 👉🏻 Exits remain challenging with $23.6 billion in exit value in Q2 👉🏻 Investors: AI businesses require outsized funding; M&A could pick up Reuters recently said that U.S. venture capital funding surged to $55.6 billion in the second quarter, marking the highest quarterly total in two years, according to PitchBook data published on Wednesday. The latest (Q2) figure shows a 47% jump from the $37.8 billion U.S. startups raised in the first quarter, largely driven by significant investments in artificial intelligence companies, including $6 billion raised by Elon Musk's xAI and $1.1 billion raised by CoreWeave. Image credit: Michael Spencer from AI Supremacy

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Talent Leaders are not offered retirement plans, so we decided to build one. Very excited to announce that today we formally announce the launch of Syelo Ventures. Through Syelo Ventures our community will be investing primarily in seed round startups that are building next generation recruiting software. The best part: Syelo Ventures is entirely member owned. Attached to Syelo Ventures is our now infamous SyeloTank experience where startups pitch our community on their solution and members vote in real-time on whether that company should receive an investment. Startups that win the imaginations of our members will have an opportunity to be part of the Syelo ecosystem. When a startup receives an investment from Syelo they receive at minimum: 1) Intensive product feedback/roadmapping via the Syelo community. 2) A world class advisory board of Syelo members. 3) Help with GTM sales language/outbound/strategy. 4) Access to our 3000+ lead lists of US based Head of Talents, CEOs, CTOs, and People leaders. Tomorrow we announce our first investment!!! There are two main reasons why we launched Syelo Ventures: 1) Talent Leaders deserve a retirement plan and Syelo aims to build it for our community. 2) We deserve the right to control the destiny of our industry and to have a say in the tools that are being built in our profession. Lastly, if you are building software in the TA space we want to hear from you! Please reach out to Sabrina Baez or Mike Rubino! We have an open pitch slot of August!

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Attending #NYTechWeek was a fantastic experience. Here are some of the highlights: Networking with Founders and Funders: Had a fantastic morning breakfast hosted by Republic where I got to connect with folks building incredible companies. There were some amazing founders in the room with huge missions and I'm excited to see them build. Eye-Opening Panel on Delegation: Went to a panel hosted by Double about why founders struggle to delegate (didn't think I needed this advice, but turns out I did). Hearing the panelists' experiences gave me great food for thought on how I'm spending my own time, what pieces of my daily work can be delegated, and how to improve some of our processes here at Worth Search. But honestly, the best part was the optimism buzzing around the NY Tech ecosystem. So many talented people with incredible ideas. It was awesome to get out of the office (aka my house) and meet some of these folks. Proud to be a small part of the NY Tech community for over a decade! What were some of your favorite moments from #NYTechWeek? Curious to hear more about people's experiences and also from anyone who hosted an event. Did you all find value in hosting?

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Notion Capital portfolio co TestGorilla release their annual skills based hiring report today. It's well worth a read for anyone trying to understand how best to attract & retain talent. Perhaps the most interesting data point is that 81% of companies are now using skills based hiring, up from 56% just 2 years ago. When you think about it this makes so much sense because skills based hiring: - Opens up new talent pools - Reduces bias & levels the playing field - Is a much better predictor of job success - And ultimately saves a ton of time & money It's no wonder that according to the research 93% of companies see skills based hiring as the No.1 trend in recruitment. Check out the report below - it's a really eye-opening read.

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Somewhere between a dollar slice spot and a rooftop view... 🍕🏢 Here are a few #NYC startups hiring #SoftwareEngineers that are on the verge of something big! 👀 - - - 𝟏. 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 🚀 - With a product that is already clicking for customers, they're looking for folks of all levels to work at intersection of Product Engineering, GenAI/LLMs and Infrastructure to execute their ambitious product roadmap. 𝟐. 𝐀𝐈-𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 😁 - Looking to build and own core projects 0-1 that leverage AI to make a real-world impact? Fresh off their Seed raise, they're looking for 2 engineers! 𝟑. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱, 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 📈 - An NYC FinTech making headlines multiple times recently are looking for multiple Backend and Infra focused engineers interested in high ownership & deep technical challenges. 𝟒. 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 🤖 - After their recent round, they're looking for engineers experienced with things like Distributed Systems, ML, and Data to help the continue pushing the boundaries on what can be achieved with AI. Do any of these roles sound interesting to you or look like they could be a fit for someone you know? Shoot me a message here or email at [email protected] - - - #NYCTech #Startup #Hiring #SoftwareEngineer

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This is hands down the single best way to build a business. Every interaction with scaling / successful / exited entrepreneurs is an opportunity to learn how to build a better business. I've taken that to heart over the last 28 years and now am lucky enough to speak with entrepreneurs everyday. Our own stories building business will follow...

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"We're always in this rush to hire at startups, but that extra two weeks to figure it out is trivial investment if you’re going to work with them for the next 5 years, and they’re going to change the trajectory of the company.’ Here, Brian Kotlyar sums up one of the most important things to remember when hiring new senior leaders for your company. With the stakes involved, and the direct impact these roles can have on a startup’s success, taking the time to ensure the hire is right for your company - in their skills, their traits, and their aspirations for the company - is critical. In my latest whitepaper, I provide 4 actionable tips for assessing candidates, to help you maximize the chances of making a successful hire - if you choose to hire independently. Link in comments to download the PDF.

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Amazing fundraising opportunity being organized by our friend Desiree Almodovar at AlleyCorp | Deep Tech for the founders who receive only 23% of all venture financing! Be sure to see the description below and apply! -------- Attention early-stage founders raising – excited to announce open applications for PEERLESS 2025! Led by AlleyCorp and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, curated programming will culminate in 5 founders pitching at Google's NYC headquarters in April, where one winner will receive a $1M investment from AlleyCorp. This isn't only about creating a more equitable tech ecosystem, it's about backing the next generation of exceptional founders who are uniquely positioned to shape the future. Applications opened on October 15th and close on December 6th 2024. While they welcome all early-stage founders with exceptional ideas, AlleyCorp is encouraging applications from startups that: 💰 Have raised less than $2M 🤓 Are technologically innovative 💼 Have a strong go-to-market advantage 🌎 Have identified a large market opportunity 💪 Are led by Black, Latine, Native American, or female founders All applicants will be invited to various ecosystem events with top founders and VCs. Learn more and start your application at peerlesspitch.com. #venturecapital #vc #fundraising #founders #startups https://lnkd.in/eNpi69QU

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A real life text I got from a startup founder I worked with last week 🚀 Trying to scale your startup is hard work. 🛠️ Securing capital and then properly deploying it. 🎯 Talking to customers and iterating product-market fit. 🎤 Building strong brand and cultural awareness. 🔦 It's a ton of work to build a startup and one of the biggest things to take up your time is hiring the right people. 👩‍🦰 🧔 👨‍🦳 At minimum you are: ➡️ Creating job descriptions ➡️ Placing a job posting ➡️ Weeding through applicants ➡️ Creating a selection process ➡️ Conducting interviews ➡️ Soliciting feedback from the team ➡️ Providing candidate feedback ➡️ Making an offer and preparing for onboarding It's a lot to do IN EDITION to all the other stuff you have to do. As a former software founder myself, I understand the challenges of startup life. - The goals. - The grind. - The hustle. It's not for everyone and it takes a special breed to make it. If you are an early stage startup looking to grow your team strategically, but also keep an eye on your hiring budget, working with the right recruiter can make all the difference. Find one that specializes in startups and early stage hires. Find one that gets you. 💍 If anyone ever wants free, low hassle advice, my DM's are open. #startups #recruiting #founders #hiring

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I've helped dozens of early-stage founders grow with the right hires. And here's why 90% of our partners are repeat clients:   ❌ Instead of: Hiring too many people too quickly. ✅ We help companies clarify the timing and necessity of each role— do you need someone full-time or would it be more strategic to start with a fractional hire? ❌ Instead of: Limiting the search to people with a specific title. ✅ We conduct a skills-based search to tap into a broader pool of highly qualified candidates. ❌ Instead of: Hiring based on experience alone. ✅ We evaluate whether the candidate embodies and aligns with the values and mission of the the company. ❌ Instead of: Focusing on candidates who talk the talk. ✅ We vet candidates for their adaptability and measurable impact. Some of the biggest hiring mistakes I see at this stage: - Not hiring for skills AND alignment with culture  - Not allocating enough time to hiring because it rarely feels like the most urgent item, but delaying only leads to compounding stress and more work down the road - Limiting your search by industry or competitor - Not keeping the momentum high during the interview process Your people are your business. But it can be REALLY hard to find the right ones to bring on—especially in those early days. Especially when you’re already managing a team, selling, raising money, refining product-market fit, and ensuring customer satisfaction. The solution? Having a discerning and strategic recruiting partner with a process that works. 

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Today or tomorrow, I’ll hit a new milestone on LinkedIn. 🌟 20,000 followers (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?) My commitment to posting 1-2 times daily has transformed my reach, driving 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 of founders and LPs to our site 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. This is core to our RevOps strategy (demand generation): → How we attract LPs → How we attract Startup Founders → And yes, I play to win. 🏆 𝗔 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗼, I got serious about LinkedIn. → 7,434.9% increase in reach 📈 → 3.5 million impressions 🎉 But it all started with that first post back on 6/13/22. 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿, I know our brand’s success depends on a clear message and a global presence. At CanaGlobal, we’re focused on four pillars: 🚀 Startup Church 🚀 Startup School 🚀 Startup Incubator 🚀 Startup Venture Studio Though we have a stellar team, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. We’ve become a global brand — a global movement, attracting founders from around the world and all walks of life. 100% of our LPs are faith-driven patriots — proudly MAGA — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 100% 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to learn from LinkedIn pros like Kevin Jurovich and Nat Berman. 🔹 I’ve studied their strategies, connected with them, and continue to cheer them on daily. So, if you’ve been part of this journey — thank you! It’s been a privilege to get to know you, support you, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽: 100,000. ~~~ Need help, 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 and reach out. Follow me, Gerald Duran for daily startup and VC mentorship, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘁 from CanaGlobal's faith-driven venture studio and startup incubator. #startups #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

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