Ben Bronson’s Post

🚀#CEOs, #Founders and #Investors of High Growth Tech #Startups & #Scaleups. 🥇Your nos.1 priority is attracting and retaining talent. 🃏Akin to a house of cards - Everything else is semantics and irrelevant if the talent piece isn’t nailed down. ❌ So please do not assume the anomaly that is 600+ applications to your job advert suggests you’ve got it covered. Because you haven’t. Quite the opposite. 🍎Equally, if you think the daily fresh fruit delivery equates to a happy team all pulling together, think again. 🙉 Because when you start to hear whispers of discourse in the ranks you are already too late, with or without the daily fresh fruit and in-house table football leagues. 🍀For something so pivotal to the success of your business DO NOT leave this to chance. 🎯There are key fundamentals you must adopt, and they start before you’ve even put pen to paper to craft your advert or job spec, and continue way past your new hires onboarding session. Message me below and I’ll tell you what they are and how to implement them. Until next time people. I’m Warren Beazley, #TheCTORecruiter 🚀𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗧𝗢𝘀 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 🏅𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 & 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 📝𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗧𝗢𝘀, 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 & 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 🔔𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 💡𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 ☎️ 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵/𝟭𝟱-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼-𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 #hiring #hiringtips

Early in their careers, most people optimize for the wrong thing and it’s stunting their potential. The right approach is actually counterintuitive. When looking for a job, many people seek out a specific role that they believe will best fit their skillset. They search for that role, then filter through the companies that are currently hiring for that role. But that’s all backwards. There’s that famous saying in startups that, if you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don’t ask “which seat?”. You just get on. The same holds true here. My advice to anyone who’s early on in their career is to find a startup that’s growing quickly, find a role (any role), and try to become as helpful as possible. There’s no task too menial and no deliverable that’s outside your scope of work. Doing the things that are “not your job” is exactly why you join a startup in the first place! If you over-index on fast growing companies, you’ll see far greater success in your career than if you fixate on a specific role that you insist on filling. So find that rocket and get on board 🚀

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟭% 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗰. 𝟱𝟬𝟬𝟬 [𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 4] It’s so hard to find the right people, and it’s easy to make a bad hire. I analyzed the websites of 324 of the fastest-growing bootstrapped companies to identify the top traits they require when hiring. This doesn’t mean you're guaranteed success if you also look for these same characteristics. But in my experience and in the interviews I conducted, if you create a recruiting and hiring process that attracts the right culture-fit people and hires for the core personality traits below, your chances of building a high-performance team go up substantially. I don’t think you can go wrong if you model what the best companies value the most. 1. Grit: The right team members must be able to handle virtually anything thrown at them and they don’t give up easily. 2. Accountability: Team members should do what they say they will do. You can’t afford to constantly check in with people to see whether they have completed a job, so this trait is paramount. 3. Impact: Impact means making a real difference at work. You want people who understand the company’s goals and work the right way to meet them. 4. Teamwork: Workplaces have all kinds of people, and companies are becoming more global. Good team players understand and care about others. 5. Ownership: This means taking charge when things go wrong and not just complaining. You’re looking for people who fix problems and keep going. 6. Curiosity: The world is changing fast, so you want lifelong learners who have no ego and want to figure things out. Are there any others you would add to the mix? - Pete #growthhacking #businessowner #businessgrowth #entrepreneurship #scaleupfaster

An Aspiring VC asked me last week during a mentoring session: “Are there any low-hanging fruits I should consider for my job search?” Short answer: no. Here are the dirty little secrets of VC job hunting. *** The 3 most effective ways to break into VC are improbable and out of reach for most people: - Building a high-performing Angel portfolio - Founding and exiting a startup successfully - Reaching a top exec position at a tech co. Even then, making your way into VC is challenging. *** Most people waste time in get-rich-quick schemes to break into VC. Let’s bust some myths: - There are few job openings in VC - Most advertised job roles are entry-level, and hundreds of people apply. Hiring firms always favor professionals with prior VC experience - Many hiring processes don’t end up with recruitment because the VC firm fails to raise the new fund *** So, what should you do to break into VC? 1/ Be patient It takes 3 to 5 years to get into VC at a good firm. Take the time to build relationships. 2/ Learn the trade VCs don’t have time to train new hires. Learn as much as you can to convince them you can hit the road running. 3/ Do the job, now Start advising Founders for free to train your “selection & value-add muscle” and build a reference network. If you’re angel investing, make your money count. 4/ Don’t obsess Question your goals of getting into VC. There are other great jobs in tech & startups. *** 🔗 I shared guides & resources below 👇 💕 Consider liking or commenting on this post if you know someone who could be interested—or wasting time chasing pipe dreams. #vcjobs #venturecapital

Useful insights

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐕𝐂 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤 betting big but not always smart. Here’s the brutal truth: 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. Ever noticed how startups obsess over 'culture' yet end up as indistinguishable as grains of sand? It's time for a seismic shift. Traditional hiring? Overrated. Degrees? A dime a dozen. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨:  Crafting a recruitment strategy from the ground up isn't just about posting job ads and waiting for talent to knock on your door. It's about building an employer brand that resonates, attracts, and retains the kind of people who don't just fill roles—they propel your startup into the stratosphere. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲? 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭.  𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞: Adapt & Evolve 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: Emotional intelligence 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐭: Your values are your magnet 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Invest in Quality over quantity 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Make them real & honest and avoid fluff 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Evolution and innovation are constants 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬: Diverse backgrounds not just degrees 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: Behind a resume is a person – respect them 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: Be clear on roles, goals, challenges & responsibilities 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Focus on production and outcomes and TRUST your employees 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐬 - 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 who will take the time to understand what you are looking for, push back where needed and already have their ear to the ground with candidates who are looking and may have the skill set and fit you are looking for. (Shameless plug) Founders, this is your blueprint for building not just a team, but a tribe. A tribe that believes in your vision, fights for your cause and drives your startup beyond the realms of what you imagined possible. 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧. #recruiting #staffing #founders #beardier

My client just got asked to interview to be the CEO of a new startup - a job she didn't apply for. These guys reached out to her. How? Her strategy was to make connections with investors. She would share her story, share her value prop, and talk about their pain points. All of these investors have a portfolio of companies they work with. And she fit the bill for one of them. My takeaway: The typical moves (online applications) may not get you where you want to go in your career. But a clever strategy sure as hell will! #leadership #careers #careerdevelopment #jobsearch #hiring

Fancy hires don't mean squat. You can quote me anywhere. When my co-founder and I were running PAQcase, we hit a wall. We weren't sure how to take the business to the next level. So we decided to bring in a CMO-level executive with 20 years more experience than us. He had an impressive track record of building and selling companies. We thought he would be our silver bullet. But there was one big problem—we couldn't really afford his salary. That didn’t stop us though. We stretched our budget thin, assuming he would pay for himself. We were dead wrong. Our new hire wasn't willing to roll up his sleeves and do the actual work. Sure, he had grand visions and high-level strategies like building sales teams and launching fancy marketing campaigns. But when it came down to execution, he was nowhere to be found. As the founders, we were used to doing it all: Thinking strategically while also grinding away in the trenches. Getting on the phones, closing deals, putting in long hours. Our fancy hire, on the other hand, expected others to handle the implementation. There was a fundamental mismatch between his working style and what our business needed. What PAQcase needed was an exec willing to lead from the front lines. Someone ready to roll up their sleeves and dive into the nitty-gritty alongside us. But that's not what we got. I've come to believe that early-stage companies require a special breed of employee. People who are as hungry and driven as the founders themselves. Team members who will get their hands dirty and do whatever it takes to succeed. That mentality is rare among folks who are used to the stability of a steady paycheck. Most experienced hires aren't looking to take on the risks that come with building something from nothing. They want the upside of startup life without the personal sacrifices and sleepless nights. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with that mindset. It's just incompatible with the demands of a fast-moving, resource-constrained startup. My CMO misadventure taught me that fancy credentials don't guarantee real contributions. In the trenches of entrepreneurship, what matters most is a scrappy, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude. Grit and adaptability beat pedigree and polish every time.

Picking the right startup can make or break an executive's career. Here’s 20 questions to ask before you sign on the dotted line: 1. Has the company successfully defined their Ideal Customer Profile? 2. What are the core use cases and do those use cases have testimonials and case studies? 3. What’s the competitive dynamic? 4. What’s the moat? What are the proprietary asymmetric advantages this company has relative to others in the space? 5. How big is the Total Addressable Market (TAM)? 6. How big is the Sales Addressable Market (SAM) vs the TAM? 7. Who owns the strategy for defining the target market? 8. How was the financial model built? Was it capacity driven or waterfall driven? 9. What is rep quota attainment rate? 10. How has pipeline generation been by quarter over the past 8 quarters? 11. What is average deal size and what has the trend been? 12. How is the product roadmap built and how often does the product team talk to customers? 13. What’s churn both on a dollar and unit basis? 14. Is the company able to reliably forecast results and hit its targets based on the last 8 quarters of performance? 15. Is the Founder/Founders technical and if not what is the strategy for recruiting and developing great engineering talent? 16. Who was my predecessor and why are they no longer in the role? 17. How much money has been raised and what preferences are part of the cap table? 18. What valuation did company most recently raise at and what does that represent as an EBITDA and revenue multiple? 19. What is the Founders exit strategy? 20. What is the Founders philosophy around compensation? Let’s make this list amazing. What questions would you add? #startups

valuable insights here for anyone thinking of joining a startup