Initialized Capital’s Post

In the early stage startup journey, post funding is often 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. That's where I come in. In my role as 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 for Initialized Capital, I work with our 175+ portfolio companies to build out their team and cultures. 💫 Hiring 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 10 team members is a pivotal moment in your company's growth. Besides your product, your 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. When you are just getting started, you have limited headcount and limited funds so every player counts. That means 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. Your team determines the pace and direction of a startup’s expansion. In fact, the team and the culture you create (implicitly or explicitly) is a 𝗯𝘆𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲. ✏ Here's my initial thoughts on 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 10 𝙃𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨: https://lnkd.in/efNDbEZ8 I welcome your feedback, especially if your hiring path took a different turn from the one shared. #StartUpMilestones #EarlyStageStartups #EarlyHires

As tech startups embark on their scaling journey, securing top-tier talent emerges as a paramount concern. In the first instalment of our two-part series, author John Wright, Principal in Odgers Berndtson’s Executive Search Practice, explores the profound implications of hiring missteps at different stages of a startup’s evolution, drawing insights from founders, real-world examples, and data-driven analyses. https://lnkd.in/grfpiVXa

⚠️ Making your first hires as a startup is hard. When I was a recruiter, I worked closely with early-stage founders to tackle challenges like: Limited time Tight budgets Fierce competition for top talent Sounds familiar? If hiring fast and smart is top of mind as you grow your startup, come join us at #SiftedTalks next week to learn from leaders like: 🔹 Pedro Monteiro de Barros, GM Contractors @ Remote 🔹 Zoe Jervier Hewitt, VP Talent @ Sequoia Capital 🔹 Miriam Partington, Senior Reported @ Sifted 🔹 Karen Brandt, Chief People Officer @ FINN 🔹 Tim Chong, Co-founder & CEO @ Yonder We'll unpack actionable strategies for attracting top talent, streamlining recruitment process, and building a winning team without breaking the bank. Sign up link in the comments 👀

A typical problem with scale-ups is when bureaucracy is disproportionate to the company size. When a company with 300 people has the same structure and processes as the one with 10000, something is wrong. I have seen such examples. The downsides of a corporation are understandable and can be forgiven, but when you see a scale-up trying to adopt the same clumsy procedures, it is surprising. Why could this happen? Some of the reasons are hiring and corporate culture. It is inevitable that a startup changes when founders and the initial team have less influence on hiring decisions. And even if they have a strong influence, it matters not only what vibe they are looking for in the new hires, but also what background each new hire brings on board. Some newcomers might turn out to be professional in their job but they will spread a corporation style all over them. They might suggest process innovations that are inspired by working in established companies with hundreds of people. As a result, a company of 300 people will be spending the same resources as a 10000-employee corporation does (for example, with one-third of the staff supporting the money-making processes instead of directly participating in them). Have you seen something similar? #corporateculture #scaling

I'm joining the StartupGrind event as a speaker to share my learnings on how early-stage startups should approach their hiring. You can join the free event from here: https://buff.ly/3U3lb5x Here's the short version of how it's done: ✅ Start with business strategy and what needs to happen in your product & GTM side of things ✅ Build a talent acquisition strategy including what kind of talent you need, when you need it, and why those people should join your company ✅ Start building your employer brand - in the first years it's a lot about the founder's brand and the founders sharing what kind of workplace you are ✅ Adapt the always-be recruiting mindset and build talent pipelines all the time - my recommendation is that you always know who your next hire will be even before you can actually hire them ✅ Balance your MRR growth with your headcount growth ✅ Measure everything and act accordingly. Join the event to get a deep dive to these topics 😎

Here’s the BITTER truth of startup talent hiring: your product isn’t the draw. Most founders and CXOs passionately believe their product is enough to attract top-tier talent. But here’s the reality: that’s a myth. Top candidates also want other Benefits—things that bigger and established brands like Google, Microsoft, etc mostly offer like: — Stability  — Competitive compensation  — Brand credibility   — Superior work-life balance  — Better funding for innovation  — Defined work scope and boundaries So, what’s the game-changer for startups? A mindset shift: stop selling the product—start selling your vision, values, and leadership. In today’s competitive talent market, strategic personal branding is your X-factor. Thought leadership and authentic storytelling can position YOU as the reason top talent wants to join your team. Want to crack the personal branding code? Explore more at www.flywheelr.com.

⏰ Only 2 Weeks Left! ⏰ Time is ticking! Don't miss out on our exclusive webinar, "Future Work: Hiring for Startups and Scaleups" happening on June 27th at 3:00 pm! 🚀 In just 14 days, you'll have the chance to gain invaluable insights from Russell White of Future Work, as delves into the critical strategies for hiring in both startup and scaleup businesses! 💼💥 Here's a sneak peek of what's in store: ✅ Understand the challenges of hiring for startups and scaleups ✅ Learn how to make your business attractive to top talent ✅ How to use the various tools and channels to attract talent ✅ How to maintain the values and vision of your business as it grows Secure your FREE spot now and seize the opportunity to level up your recruitment game! ⭐️ https://lnkd.in/e5EcNA6T

⏰ Only 2 Weeks Left! ⏰ Time is ticking! Don't miss out on our exclusive webinar, "Future Work: Hiring for Startups and Scaleups" happening on June 27th at 3:00 pm! 🚀 In just 14 days, you'll have the chance to gain invaluable insights from Russell White of Future Work, as delves into the critical strategies for hiring in both startup and scaleup businesses! 💼💥 Here's a sneak peek of what's in store: ✅ Understand the challenges of hiring for startups and scaleups ✅ Learn how to make your business attractive to top talent ✅ How to use the various tools and channels to attract talent ✅ How to maintain the values and vision of your business as it grows Secure your FREE spot now and seize the opportunity to level up your recruitment game! ⭐️ https://lnkd.in/euFyHTB9

In the three years since we started Every, not a single employee has voluntarily left the company. (Except for one, but he is coming back) One reason is that when I hire people I ask them what their motivation for coming to work at an early stage company is. If the conversation immediately turns to compensation and potential stock upside, it is almost always going to be a bad fit. In the early days of a startup, the financial position can be a roller coaster and those people will often get off the ride early. When you hire someone that is motivated by building for the sake of building, and by the desire to bring something awesome into the world, you know they will be in it for all the twists, turns and loop-de-loops. This changes when you are Series A onwards, so I wouldn’t apply this unless you are at the seed stage.

Space Capital and AdAstra Talent Advisors are excited to invite you to our Q3 Webinar on October 9, 2024, at 10:00 AM PT. This session, “Evaluating Top Candidates: A Guide for Space Startup Founders,” is designed to empower founders with essential strategies for making critical hires. What You'll Learn: Strategies to prioritize and select key team members. Tips to avoid common hiring pitfalls. Best practices for evaluating candidates from diverse backgrounds. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your hiring process and build a stronger team. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e-Z3A4H7)