From the course: Entrepreneurship Foundations

Cofounders and team members

From the course: Entrepreneurship Foundations

Cofounders and team members

- The time has come for you to build your empire, and I cannot think of a better quote than "The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives," from writer George R.R. Martin's fantasy tale, "Game of Thrones." Begin to build your own entrepreneurial pack by bringing people onto your team. I know what you're thinking. Kim, how the heck am I supposed to find a life partner? Because that's what a co-founder is, a life partner. The best place to look is going to be in your network. The perfect co-founder, partner, or first hire is usually hiding in plain sight. I didn't have to look very far for my co-founder. She was sitting right next to me at my corporate job. And our other partner, Abby, used to work at another job with me. I called her and convinced her to start helping us. Really, I mostly begged. Eight years later, she is still a key component of the team. Still don't believe me? Instagram co-founders Mike and Kevin met at college at Stanford. Warby Parker's four co-founders met while studying at Wharton. And it was at Warby Parker that Jen Rubio and Steph Korey met and ended up starting their own billion dollar luggage business, Away. Now, that leads us to what type of traits you should be looking for. This is where now, more than ever, you need to get real with yourself if you haven't already. It's time to start looking at what your weaknesses are and aim to find someone that crushes it in those areas. It doesn't make sense to bring someone on with the same skillsets as you. You also want to make sure that they share your vision of the business. Whether it's a co-founder, a partner, or a first employee, everyone needs to be excited and motivated and driving towards the same goal. Last but not least, am I sounding like a broken record yet? Tell others what you need. Broadcast loud and proud that you are looking for someone to help you grow your business idea. Write down the type of skills and personality that this person would have. Paint a picture for yourself and for others what this person is and what they're like. Then empower your network to help you locate members of your pack. Bringing on new people is exciting, but it can often lead to a lot of complications if you aren't bringing on the right people. Quality over quantity is the way to go when it comes to co-founders and employees. However, once those heavily vetted candidates are in your pack, it's time to run as fast as you can towards your goals.

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