“Don’t go it alone”

How do I do this? How do I run a successful startup?

Firstly, you must have the right people around you. Running a successful startup requires a lot of work, and some days you might feel like you won’t see the fruits of your labour. This is why it’s essential to surround yourself with the right people.

So who are the right people? The right people are those who exhibit similar intrinsic motivations and share your vision, but crucially they have new ideas and experiences that sit outside your skills and experiences. They bring an accumulated amount of experience over their career to add value and support to your vision. For instance, if you’re hiring a Co-founder and they don’t relieve 50% of your workload, are they really a good hire?

Cultural alignment and the ascertainment of team fit is also paramount at all stages of business, however its crucially important in the early days. Hiring the wrong person at the beginning of your journey can have devastating effects on the success of your startup. Hiring people too junior, or that don’t buy into the long-term goal will do more harm than good.

What about money? The financial aspect of starting a startup can be a problem and usually push founders to ‘go at it alone’, however, in most cases this ends up costing you much more. Your job as a founder is so many things. In the early days it has to be, there are no shortcuts, but understanding when to hire, when to spend the money and where to spend it is equally important and requires some strategic planning and advice.

As a startup, there are so many constraints: time, money, energy. It can be easy to feel as though you will never achieve your dreams and desires. I see this frustration all the time.  The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and determination.

I’m convinced that a lot of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance and the ability to act on what is most consequential to your business growth. This can sometimes mean; delegating, asking for help and knowing what you’re good at, but equally admitting what you’re not good at. A little humility and open mindedness can be a major asset.

So, If you’re at a place in your journey where you’ve just had enough of the struggle, don’t give up. ‘Don’t go it alone’.

At Black Nova Group we have gathered a strategically selected group of subject matter experts required to support founders at various stages in their journey. To help push through the rough patches and grey days. To help increase the prospect of success and stand by you while your vision comes to fruition.

Our services include; Go-to-market, Product, Marketing and Talent Acquisition. You can reach me at dillon@blacknova.xyz or linkup with me on linkedin.

Written by Dillon da Costa, Experience Digital‘s Group Accounts Director