Successful Startup 101: September 2014 Successful Startup 101: September 2014 | Page 37

That said, I seem to have cracked the code and
lived to tell. So in the interest of helping others
recruit exceptional early teams, I’m going to
document here how I did it. It is part art and
part science, but fully replicable.
This guide below assumes you are a founder of
a startup, you’re bootstrapping as best you can,
you don’t have unlimited resources to pay 25%
recruiting fees, you won’t settle for B players, and
you know what you’re looking for. If so, read on.
1. HAVE A CLEAR VISION FOR WHAT
YOUR COMPANY WILL LOOK LIKE
Know what you want your company
to look like once you fill all the early
positions you’ve earmarked as essential.
2. KNOW YOUR NON-NEGOTIABLES.
Have an unmistakable sense for what
each position requires. I needed two
full-stack developers (one iOS-focused
and one web-focused), one designer,
and eventually one marketer. I needed
people near Montclair, NJ (or NYC) with
unimpeachable character.

about the kind of person and talent
you are looking for. The more specific
you are, the more likely that you will
(a) attract top candidates who feel they
are a fit for your unique startup, and (b)
disincentivize ill-fitting candidates from
applying and thereby wasting their and
your time.
5. LOOK AT LINKEDIN PROFILES.
Require candidates to send you their
LinkedIn profiles, not resumes. Resumes
are dry, static documents. A good
LinkedIn profile contains everything a
resume does, and then some, including
written references from past/current
colleagues, their number of LinkedIn
connections, their photo in a suit or
backwards baseball cap getting drunk
with their buddies in a bar.

3. CLEAR YOUR DESK.
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to hire
for a position, clear your desk of everything
else you think you have to take on, so
that you are free to commit 90% of your
waking hours to searching, networking
and recruiting for that position. You cannot
recruit key early positions in your “free
time.” First of all, you have no free time.
Secondly, it will take every ounce of your
being to go from here to hire!
4. WRITE A WELL-WRITTEN JOB
DESCRIPTION.
Write an EXCEPTIONALLY articulate,
unique, and distinguishing Job
Description. Be as specific as you can

6. REQUIRE CANDIDATES TO SUBMIT
PERSONALIZED COVER EMAILS
Have them explain why your startup
interests them and why they are the
best candidate for the job. If they
don’t take the time to write this
personalized cover email, don’t even
look at their Lin