How To Build A Team That Succeeds With Proven Tactics
Building a team that survives and thrives is one of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—of being an early-stage founder or CEO. You’re in the trenches, trying to juggle everything while your team is the backbone of your startup’s success. But how do you create a team that works cohesively, executes with precision, and drives your vision forward? The answer lies in proven tactics that can lay a solid foundation for long-term success when applied with intention and authenticity.
In this post, I will walk you through five essential tactics I’ve learned over the years that can help you build a team that succeeds. These aren’t just theoretical ideas—they’re tactics I’ve put into action and seen work repeatedly. So, let’s dive in.
1. Define the Vision and Culture Early (and Be Honest About the Risks)
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” but I believe that vision and culture are the driving forces behind a successful team. Your vision is the lighthouse guiding everyone through stormy waters, and culture is the ship that carries them. But here’s the trick: it’s not just about painting a pretty picture of success—it’s about being honest about the challenges and risks, too.
Proven Tactic: I spoke openly about my hopes and fears for the business when building my teams. My team wanted to understand the whole picture, including the harsh realities. I didn’t hide the fact that I was nervous about failure. Putting my vulnerabilities on the table early created an environment where honesty was expected and embraced. This culture of transparency allowed my team to bring their concerns to the surface, making it easier to tackle problems together.
Example: Imagine you’re leading a fintech startup with a team of five. Instead of starting with the big wins and grand plans in your first meeting, you say, “Look, we’ve got a great idea here, but I won’t sugarcoat it—it’s risky. We could fail, but if we succeed, it’ll be because we’ve faced the challenges head-on as a team.” This transparency creates trust from day one, and your team feels secure knowing they can be vulnerable and candid, too.
Book Recommendation: “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek
Sinek’s classic work explores how leaders can inspire action by defining their “why.” This book will help you refine your vision and communicate it effectively to your team, ensuring they understand what you’re doing and why it matters.
2. Identify Key Roles and Responsibilities to Avoid Overlap
It’s tempting to think that everyone can wear multiple hats in the early stages. While flexibility is essential, clear roles and responsibilities keep everyone focused and ensure things don’t fall through the cracks. Overlap can lead to frustration, missed deadlines, and resentment. The key to avoiding this is open conversations about what each person excels at and where they can contribute most effectively.
Proven Tactic: Early on, one of my biggest mistakes was assuming that everyone would “figure it out.” But when you don’t explicitly define roles, it’s easy to fall into the trap of stepping on each other’s toes. I’ve found that setting clear expectations early on and having open discussions about strengths and weaknesses ensures that no one feels like they’re doing someone else’s job.
Example: In your fintech startup, you’re five people who want to make the product launch successful. If you haven’t defined your roles properly, you could quickly end up with a situation where everyone’s working on the same task—say, customer acquisition—leading to duplication of effort. You have a conversation where everyone outlines what they do best: one person is good at coding, one person excels in sales, and one person understands operations. By focusing on individual strengths, you quickly realize that your marketing person is better suited for building partnerships with banks than managing ads. This clarity of roles gets everyone working toward the same goal without wasting time on redundant tasks.
Book Recommendation: “Who” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
This book provides a proven process for hiring and defining roles clearly within a team. It helps ensure that everyone’s strengths are aligned with their responsibilities, which is crucial for the growth and success of your team.
3. Recruit Smartly: Hire Slow, Fire Fast
This piece of advice is critical: hire slow, fire fast. When building your team, it’s easy to rush into hiring decisions because the pressure will increase. But hiring the wrong person is far worse than taking your time to find the right fit. Not only will a poor hire slow your team down, but it can also negatively affect your culture. Conversely, act quickly and decisively if you recognize that someone isn’t the right fit early on.
Proven Tactic: Over the years, I’ve learned that the best hires don’t just have the technical skills—they fit into your company’s culture and share the values that drive your mission. When I’ve rushed hiring decisions, it’s never turned out well. I’ve since refined my hiring process to include multiple rounds of interviews and a strong focus on cultural alignment. I take action if someone isn’t working out after a few months. The longer you wait, the more damage it damages the team's morale.
Example: Suppose you’ve found a candidate for your fintech startup who seems perfect on paper. They’ve got all the technical skills, worked at top companies, and seemed eager to jump in. But after a couple of months, it’s clear they’re not aligning with the team’s collaborative culture. Instead of sticking with them because you fear the consequences, you make the tough call to part ways. In the long run, you replace them with someone who has the technical expertise and shares your team’s vision. It’s a challenging moment, but it pays off when the new hire fits seamlessly into the culture.
Book Recommendation: “Hiring for Attitude” by Mark Murphy
This book focuses on hiring people who fit your company’s culture and values rather than just focusing on skills. It’s an essential read for ensuring your hiring process leads to long-term success.
4. Establish a Strong Hiring Process
A solid hiring process is more than a formality—it’s the first step toward building a high-performing team. The goal is to ensure that each person you bring to your team is a great cultural fit and has the skills to succeed. That means conducting expert interviews, culture interviews, and other methods to assess each candidate.
Proven Tactic: I’ve learned that having multiple steps in the interview process is crucial to vetting candidates thoroughly. First, ensure the technical skills are there with a couple of expert interviews. Then, a culture interview will be conducted to assess whether the person will be a good fit for the team dynamic. A great candidate might have the best resume, but if they aren’t aligned with the team’s values or communication style, they won’t succeed in the long run.
Example: Imagine you’re hiring a product manager for your fintech startup. You’ve got the resumes and narrowed it down to three strong candidates. But instead of rushing to make an offer, you have each candidate undergo two technical interviews to assess their problem-solving skills. After that, you conduct a culture interview to make sure they align with the team’s values—such as transparency, collaboration, and taking ownership. One candidate excels technically but struggles in the culture interview, while the other shows strong skills and a great fit with the team. You decide based on the whole picture—technical ability and cultural alignment.
5. Foster Collaboration and Communication
Keeping your team aligned and communicating effectively is key to building a successful startup. It’s not just about having great people on your team—it’s about ensuring everyone is working towards the same goals and checking in regularly to ensure that happens.
Proven Tactic: In my experience, regularly asking the team, “Are we on track in executing the vision?” helps keep everyone aligned with the company’s goals. These questions encourage open dialogue and allow everyone to voice concerns or insights. Also, when you have regular touchpoints to assess whether you’re hitting your OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), you ensure everyone is on the same page and feels accountable.
Example: In your fintech startup, your team might get wrapped up in their tasks as you head toward your first product launch. Every week, you ask, “Are we on track in executing the vision?” You encourage the team to check how their work contributes to the broader objectives. During one of these check-ins, it becomes clear that the user interface design isn’t entirely aligned with the latest product goals. By catching this early, you make adjustments before it’s too late, ensuring everyone is working toward the same vision.
Book Recommendation: “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott
This book is a must-read for creating a culture of open communication and honest feedback. It helps foster collaboration by encouraging teams to be candid yet caring, essential for ensuring alignment and driving success.
Building a successful team is about more than just hiring the right people. It’s about aligning your team with your vision, defining roles clearly, and creating an environment where communication is open and honest. By applying these proven tactics, you can avoid common pitfalls and set your team up for success. Remember: it’s a journey, not a sprint. With the right tactics in place, your team can achieve incredible things.