112. The three stages of start-up teams

A tech start-up begins its life with a tiny team. The founders are either technical or tech savvy, but as the company scales its team has to change. 

Learn about the three stages of start-up team growth here.

Learning notes from this episode:

• At stage 1, the start-up is focussed on building its first product and getting the first customers. The team is usually tiny, and each team member is either building the technology themselves or is very closely involved in the process. Everyone learns from each other on the job.
• At stage 2, the start-up has raised Series A or Series B and is focussed on scaling. This is when specialists in non-technical fields start getting hired: HR experts, sales people etc. The gap between the techies and the non-techies widens, and this is where opportunities get lost.
• At stage 3, the start-up is a late stage venture and is either preparing for a merger or an IPO. At this point, the original founder is very unlikely to be the CEO. According to analysis by Harvard Business School professor Noam Wasserman:

“by the time the ventures were three years old, 50% of founders were no longer the CEO; in year four, only 40% were still in the corner office; and fewer than 25% led their companies’ initial public offerings.” 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Harvard Business Review: The Founders' Dilemma by Noam Wasserman

Join the The Non-Technical Founders Introduction to Tech workshop

You will learn:

• The framework for how to go from idea to live product
• Product management fundamentals
• How to work with developers effectively
• How and when to hire a product team

Listen here on Apple Podcasts

Listen here on Spotify

-----

If you like learning about how tech products and profits get made, you'll like our newsletter.

It's funny too. Sign up here.

-----

There are 2 ways to apply this work to your goals:

For individuals, APPLY FOR A CONSULTATION CALL for Tech For Non-Techies membership.

For companies: If you want to increase productivity, innovation and diversity, then your non-technical teams need to learn how to collaborate with the techies. 

BOOK A CALL to discuss bespoke training & consulting.

We love hearing from our readers and listeners. So if you have questions about the content or working with us, just get in touch on [email protected]

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter and follow her on LinkedIn.

Following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will make you smarter. 

(Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash)