This page collects links to blog posts, articles and books about managing early team issues in startups.
Companion pages compile readings on startup recruiting and organization and culture. Related pages that may be of interest cover startup failure, how founders cope with the pressures of startup lifestyles, and startup mindset, i.e., the attitudes/values that improve success odds for entrepreneurs. Other pages listed at right and in this blog's nav bar compile readings on additional topics relevant to startup management.
Decisions About Founding Teams
Finding a Technical Co-Founder
Companion pages compile readings on startup recruiting and organization and culture. Related pages that may be of interest cover startup failure, how founders cope with the pressures of startup lifestyles, and startup mindset, i.e., the attitudes/values that improve success odds for entrepreneurs. Other pages listed at right and in this blog's nav bar compile readings on additional topics relevant to startup management.
Decisions About Founding Teams
- Noam Wasserman's book, The Founder's Dilemmas, describes tradeoffs that founders confront when deciding when/with whom to found, how to split equity, how to divide roles, etc.; Wasserman on equity splits
- Blake Masters' summary of Peter Thiel's Stanford CS183 lecture on the importance on early founding decisions
- Charlie O'Donnell of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures on questions that co-founders must address ASAP and the concept of the "minimum viable team," i.e., the smallest set of skills needed to get traction in an early-stage startup
- Advice from Mark Suster on configuring an early-stage startup team
- FounderDating co-founder/CEO Jessica Alter describes the three biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when looking for a co-founder
- Brad Feld on founders agreements and equity splits and on the cap table impact of hiring a CTO.
- Mark Suster why the advantages of having a cofounder are often overstated
- Christopher Steiner of FundersClub on cofounder fit
- Meebo CEO Seth Sternberg on finding co-founders; Steve Blank on the same topic
- Chris Dixon on splitting founders' equity; Silicon Hills Lawyer covers the basics of how to split equity
- Josh Rottner of Cooley LLP on the legal basics of founders agreements
- StartupLawyer on how accelerators impact cofounder divorce
- Venture Hacks on how to pick a co-founder and when to fire a co-founder
Finding a Technical Co-Founder
- Alter provides advice to technical founders seeking a non-technical co-founder and describes the three biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when looking for a co-founder
- LaunchBit co-founder/CEO Elizabeth Yin on the challenge of finding a technical co-founder; part II of her post presents case studies of founding teams and how technical and non-technical founders came together
- Steve Blank on why founders should know how to code
- Joel Gascoigne of @buffer on why non-technical founders should not outsource development
- Miriam Naficy, founder of Minted.com on how to hire a startup CTO
- Charlie O'Donnell of First Round Capital on reasons for hiring a design lead before a CTO or technical co-founder
