Building teams

Every tech company claims they have the best team. But, that can't be the case. It's all relative.

So, how do successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with high achieving people that can work together to out compete the market? The most concise answer I've heard came from Mick Mountz, founder of Kiva Systems. He explains that founders need to focus on the following cycle:

1. Product - develop a concept/set of requirements
2. Team - design and implement the product
3. Customers - verify that there's willingness to pay
4. Funding - maintain current offering and develop the next iteration

It's no surprise that the best products attract the best talent. But, many young companies seem to get this backwards, claiming they need funding to hire some rockstar developers before they know that they're creating products that people want.

Create value and you'll attract talent.