In the world of business, especially for those bold souls setting out to plant their company flags into untamed market landscapes—known as founders, or simply, “crazy”—there’s an unwritten rule about the kind of people you should initially surround yourself with. Now, contrary to what those colourful startup gurus preach at overpriced conferences—where the coffee is inexplicably bad and the chairs have the ergonomic comfort of medieval torture devices—the rule is surprisingly simple: in the beginning, find people who are a lot like you.
You see, in those fragile, early days when your business is no more substantial than a castle made of cards in a breeze, having a squad of like-minded allies is crucial. There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when everyone is on the same page, or at least reading from the same book. Meetings are less about butting heads over foundational values and more about plotting the course to the next milestone. Decisions can be made with the swiftness of a street magician—now you see a problem, now you don’t. And while too many identical minds in one room might sound like a recipe for a boring business, at this stage, it’s more about survival than entertainment. After all, too much difference in thought, too early, can have you debating over the font on your business card while your castle crumbles.
But, as with all good things this phase too must pass. As your company grows and the employee number edges toward that fateful figure of about 15 or so, a change in hiring philosophy is as necessary as a change in wardrobe when seasons shift. Now, you’re not just building; you’re sustaining and expanding, reaching for those branches on the tree that seemed like mere pipe dreams on day one.
This is the point where you need to start spicing things up in the human resources department. It’s time to invite in the mavericks, the advocates of devil’s advocacy, the ones who challenge the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of every decision. This isn’t about creating discord; it’s about ensuring that your best ideas are as robust as titanium and that any bad ideas are caught and tossed out before they take root like weeds in your garden of innovation.
Introducing this new diversity of opinion is like adjusting to a new spice in your favourite dish. Initially, it might overwhelm the palate accustomed to the familiar, but soon enough, it enhances the flavour, bringing out subtleties you never noticed before. The discussions around the conference table become charged with a new energy—ideas are forged and scrutinised in the crucible of collective critique, ensuring that what emerges is stronger, clearer, and more refined than what any echo chamber could produce.
Imagine, if you will, a ship making its way across the vast ocean. In the early days, you need all hands rowing in unison, matching the rhythm set by the captain to escape the perilous shallows near the shore. But as the waters deepen and the coastlines morph into mere silhouettes on the horizon, it’s the diverse skills of the crew that navigate, innovate, and ultimately, keep the ship thriving in the chaos of uncharted waters.
So, as a founder, remember this delicate dance between similarity and diversity. Begin with the former to launch your dream with the unity it requires, and evolve to the latter to steer it through the complexities of growth.