The Fatal Hiring Mistake
Every failed early-stage startup I’ve seen made the same hiring mistake: They hired top-tier specialists instead of prioritizing speed and resilience. Table of Contents What Startups Actually Need Athletes First Why Speed Wins Conclusion What Startups Actually Need Early-stage startups need athletes , not narrow specialists. The person who “scaled marketing” at Google will likely crash at your 8-person company. Scaling requires systems. Startups demand scrappiness. Athletes First Your first 10 hires should be able to: Write code and talk to customers Design products and run omnichannel ads Close deals and manage operations Generalists thrive in chaos. Specialists need structure. Why Speed Wins With limited runway, versatility is your edge. A specialist may excel in one lane, but they’ll falter when the company pivots or priorities shift overnight. The hard-chargers who wear multiple hats are the ones who’ll carry you through uncertainty. Conclusion If you’ve g...