Starting a company? Difficult. Starting a company by yourself? Insane. No matter the level of genius, passion, or drive, every entrepreneur excels best by gathering a capable team to carry out their mission. Teams, like the people who comprise them, come in every shape and size and have various strengths. Startup teams demand a rigorous selflessness that shapes small companies into families, and selecting that family can often make or break a startup. Some swear by specific personalities and others argue over methods of molding a great group. Regardless, without an active, inspired, well-gelled team, a company is just a good idea. Here are six startup personalities to look for when building a small team.
Study Bug
This Sheldon-smart book worm never stops reading. Good thing too because the sheer volume of new data, from product to pitches, demands a constant student. You need someone on your team who never stops learning, and leverages that knowledge to the company’s growth.
Matrix Mind
Disrupting a space demands thinking big. Creative problem solving on a macro level. Absorbing environmental factors intuitively and producing innovative ideas and solutions. Though often impulsive and DaVinci-esque, this jack of all trades is an integral piece of any startup.
Ambitious Climber
In order to make your small idea big, you’re gonna need someone with a chip on their shoulder the size of two Texas’s. A big fish eager to prove their place in the ocean. The drive and work ethic necessary for startup success demand an individual who takes it personally, wears the logo with brazen pride, and will stop at nothing to put the firm on top.
Calculated Chaos
This person is pure energy. Point and go. Starting a business means endless work and boundless optimism. This one brings the energy and necessary speed to execute those ground breaking ideas. Find a hunting dog who’s raring to go and let them power your purpose.
Fast Friend
Don’t get me wrong- you don’t need to be friends with your coworkers. But if you’re choosing to spend seemingly-endless, sleepless weeks in close quarters working on your dream with somebody, you might want to at least like them. Likeability is significantly more important in startups than larger, more-corporate firms. People perform more quality work when striving for someone they like, so (as basic as it sounds) hinge your startup’s success on people you can stand to be around.
Mater de Familia
Mom. Dad. This is the giver in the group. When lunch was 5 hours ago and the team hasn’t moved from their desks, this one brings the food. When someone is overburdened, this person steps in to shoulder some of the load. Every good team needs a selfless giver who puts the other individuals’ and the greater group’s success above their own. This selfless somebody does it all for the team.