Craig Zingerline’s Post

I like hiring mini-entrepreneurs. There was an early employee at one of my startups who, everytime we asked him to solve a problem would give us a presentation that started with "here is everything you have to think about." After a few times I finally laughed and was like, dude, I hired YOU to think about it, don't tell me what I need to think about. You're supposed to do the thinking! What bothers me about the KPI/OKR culture is it often excuses employees from thinking big picture, about the overall "job to be done" -- it encourages task masters instead of problem solvers -- as long as they are producing X number of sales, making Y cold calls, they don't challenge, they aren't thinking. I've realized my most valuable resource is my mental bandwidth -- everytime I'm called in to solve a problem is another higher order problem I can't spend my mental resources on. There is a reason that the best companies end up with Mafias full of former employees who go on to start their own billion dollar companies -- everyone from top to bottom is a mini entrepreneur and it gave that company a huge leg up.

"The Expensive Lesson I Learned About Hiring Too Early" When I started WeBuidl, the excitement of making good revenue early on made me think I was ready to scale fast. I began hiring people for tasks like managing social media, content creation, and admin work—things I could’ve easily done myself. It felt like the right move, but it wasn’t. I learned the hard way when we ran out of cash. That’s when my mentor told me, “Many founders make this mistake—hiring too soon, spending on tasks they could handle, and realising it only when it’s too late.” Now I understand: as founders, we should do everything we can by ourselves—even the smallest tasks—until we’re truly maxed out. Not only does it save money, but it also keeps us grounded and close to the heart of our business. Every penny counts when you’re building. Before you hire, ask yourself: - Can’t I handle this myself? - Is it worth the cost right now? - The ROI ? Sometimes, the best investment you can make is in yourself, learning and doing. #FounderMistakes #StartupLessons #CashFlowManagement #Entrepreneurship #ThursdayThoughts

A brilliant idea, a promising market and big funding do not guarantee startup success. I've come to realize that success is often determined by the people you bring on board.  Long-term growth isn't about prioritizing profits over people. It's about investing in a hiring process that's as strategic as your business plan. Think of it as building your A-team that can execute your vision and not just filling seats. We founders often put strategy before people thinking that is enough. That's where it all goes sideways. Your strategy is only as good as the team executing it. A great plan in the hands of the wrong team is just a wasted opportunity. You need to match skills, personalities and culture to see things work for you. Because if you don’t take culture and hiring seriously from day one, the culture will shape itself and more often than not, you won’t like where it ends up. So the bottom line is that your team is your most valuable asset. Invest in your hiring process like your business depends on it because it does. Are you investing enough in hiring as an entrepreneur? #entrepreneur #learnings

"Wearing ALL the hats in a startup isn’t just a saying—it’s the reality." When you're building a business from the ground up, you quickly realize: ✅ You're the strategist AND the executor. ✅ The visionary AND the one doing the day-to-day grind. ✅ The one pulling the strings—and wearing them thin. It's easy to think hiring a virtual assistant (VA) will take a load off. But here's the truth: VAs are incredible at tackling tasks, but they’re not here to build your business for you. Building a business takes systems, strategy, and vision. If you're stretched thin, the solution isn’t just delegation—it’s prioritization and finding the right support for the right stage of your growth. Have you faced the "I can do it all" trap? What’s one thing that helped you stay focused on growth, not just the grind? Let’s share tips in the comments! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #BuildingABusiness #GrowthMindset

Your Startup Will Fail Before You Even Launch It! It's not about the market, the product, or even the people. It's about YOU as a founder! If you don’t pay attention to these critical aspects of your business, your startup is at risk. 1. Human Resources Your startup’s growth and decline are entirely dependent on the team you work with. Be careful who you bring on board. Investing in talented and passionate candidates can be a game changer. Just remember, any huge ship can sink if you onboard people who are drilling holes. Surround yourself with people driven by the same vision and passion as you. 2. Know the Workflow As a founder, you need to understand the workflow of every department, regardless of your industry. Knowing the ins and outs ensures no one can mislead you, and you’ll be able to spot inefficiencies. 3. Value Loyalty It’s essential to have at least one loyal employee who can identify faults, loopholes, and necessary updates—and be brutally honest with you. Loyalty is hard to find, so if you have someone like this, keep them close. 4. Take Chances on Potential, Not Just Experience A candidate is more than a résumé. As a founder, your job is to see their potential: How can they contribute to your business? What are their strengths, and how can you leverage them? Experience in big brands doesn’t always equate to passion or knowledge. You don’t want employees who waste time during work hours—hire people who care about your company’s growth. 5. Work on the Ground Level It’s common for founders to remain at the top, but getting to know the ground-level work is invaluable. Understand who’s doing what and how things operate, but don’t confuse this with micromanaging. There’s a fine line between being aware and over-controlling. 6. Pay Your Employees Well Founders often drain their funds on luxury offices with imported furniture, only to underpay their employees. This is a sure path to failure. Instead, invest in paying your team fairly. They’ll happily work with their own laptops in a basic office if you show you value their efforts. #entrepreneurship #businesshacks #business #founders #marketing #marketingmanagement #businessadminstration

Sam Altman: “This is probably the best time - maybe ever - to be starting your career” When asked how startup founders should handle a failed venture or pivot, Sam responds: “First of all, I think this is probably the best time — maybe ever — to be starting out your career because you will get to surf the greatest technological wave, maybe ever. And what that means is you can change course many times because you will have this unbelievable tailwind.” He advises founders to not get too hung up on any particular setback or failure — or even just changing your mind if you find something more exciting to go after: “I think this is going to be an unusual time in how much it rewards adaptability and decisive and quick movement. And I would trust that… And not get hung up on the fact that you decided to pivot or something didn’t work because you are just going to be flooded with opportunities for the next few years.” Video source: @HarvardHBS (2024)

70% of startups fail in the first 5 years. And I think I know why… If you want to run a successful business, you have to get great at collaboration. You have to learn when to hold on and when to let go. It’s something that founders really struggle with. And I won't say I'm not guilty of this sometimes! It takes a lot of trust and hiring well. But working with so many different early-stage founders, I recognised what the successful ones were doing well, and it taught me these valuable lessons. 💡 Ask for help when you need it. 💡 Keep talking. Surround yourself with people who are great sounding boards. 💡 You don’t have to be involved in all the nitty gritty of your business all the time. 💡 Hiring fractional staff is a great investment if you’re not ready for full-timers. What’s an invaluable lesson you’ve learnt as a founder?

As a start-up founder you’re swamped with multiple responsibilities. Somehow it feels, being into the D2C ecosystem comes with bigger risks. To remain in the race, I believe there are a few non-negitiables, a new founder should always prioritize- ➡️ Defining Your Mission More than identifying a problem, you need to articulate a clear mission that serves as your startup's foundation. Only you as the founder can turn that abstract vision into a concrete roadmap. ➡️ Cash Flow Management Running out of money is the death knell for any startup. Carefully monitor your cash flows, experiment with small budgets first, and cut unnecessary expenses to extend your runway. ➡️ Building the Right Team Every hire shapes your culture and progress. Prioritize passion for the mission over credentials. Don't outsource interviews - use them to evaluate candidates while they evaluate you. Trust those you bring onboard. ➡️ Repeat yourself No one will care about your mission as deeply as you do, not even employees. Constantly repeat and reinforce the mission, vision, values and strategy to keep everyone aligned. ➡️ Accountability A startup is a high-performance team, not a family. Set clear performance standards from day one and be consistent in upholding them across all levels, including yourself. Be prepared to make tough personnel decisions. When you balance these key areas from the outset, they will maximize your probability of transforming your vision into an enduring company. Thoughts? #Entrepreneurship #D2CChallenges #BusinessStrategy

No one is more anxious than a meant-to-be entrepreneur who is still in a bureaucratic corporate role. I learned SO much building new departments inside of someone else’s startup. I got to cut my entrepreneurial teeth without any real financial risk to myself. I had the luxury to hyper focus since I didn’t have to figure out how to run payroll, write an employee handbook, set up a CRM, and the gazillion other tasks that fall on the shoulders of a first-time founder. I think they call this “intrepreneurship” and it’s a hell of a gift But all good startups mature and I saw my role transition from building programs to the day-to-day management of those programs. And despite believing in the mission of the business and managing a killer team— I started to feel restless and unfulfilled. There wasn’t anything left to build and I was bored. Most days, if I’m being honest, I spent a good amount of time sitting in my office reading dailymail.com with my space heater cranked to 90 degrees. It took me far too long to realize that no one was going to tap me on the shoulder and say, “Meg, you’re up! You’re ready to launch your own thing.” You have to make a conscious decision to move from dreamer to doer. My fellow first time founders: Your ambition needs direction. Let ‘Er Rip.

What makes a Startup CFO different from a CFO at a more mature company. Is that a startup CFO cannot be so risk-averse. If you’re going to CFO a startup you need to take cash and make bets. Bets on: New hires New vendors New software New products New marketing channels The way you reduce the risk is that you reduce the uncertainty in the outcomes. Forecast the impact to cash over time for each bet.  Tell the other teams what results need to be achieved for this to be a win. Then get everyone to sign up for these results. Unlike at a mature company. A startup CFO has to make bets and does not operate to eliminate risks. You operate to reduce uncertainty. Then creates alignment so the odds are in your favor.