Florian Pestoni

Be different. Be noticeable. Be authentic. The irony of articles like this one you're reading (and a cottage industry of startup consultants) is that they tend to provide a template to follow. That's literally the path to becoming yet another cookie-cutter wannabe influencer. I'm not saying it doesn't work, since the demand and interest is there, but as a startup founder you should be focused on being distinctive and innovating your way to the top. So, rather than provide a series of steps to follow to showcase your startup, I'm going to suggest that you spend some time introspecting about what makes *you* and your startup truly unique; then lean into that. For me, it is sharing my passion for pizza, robots and startups. What's yours?

Culture is such a loaded word that can lose meaning through overuse. While founders can share what they envision as the culture they aspire to create, it's actually much more credible when future peers of the candidate share their perspective. This is the true test of whether the culture is real or not: can someone mention specific values without having to cheack a cheat sheet? If you have 16 "principles", nobody will remember them all; if these principles are "weaponized" to explain why someone *doesn't* fit the culture, then the company becomes an echo chamber. Embracing an inclusive culture means that the culture itself isn't fixed, as it is shaped by everyone who joins. That's why I prefer to focus on "culture add", not "culture fit."

Equity allows employees to realize significant gains if the company is successful. However, many candidates (even those who have worked at startups before) may lack the understanding or tools to assess the value of these options. This is something the founder/CEO should tackle, ideally for *every* employee. Using information about the current number of shares, valuation by investors, future growth plans, comparable companies, etc., founders can help educate employees and share their vision. However, this should be tempered with a dose of reality: the shares are not liquid. Offering tools that allow the candidates to work through different scenarios, explaining future opportunities for secondary offerings, etc. can also help build trust.

The article makes great points about culture, influence and impact. I would add that startups have the opportunity to treat potential/future team members as individuals and offer a more personalized approach. Rather than focus on the work they will do for the company, understand what the company can do for them. For instance, if they value learning, tweak the position to play to their strengths while also allowing for stretch/growth. Have the whole executive team super engaged, sharing their respective experiences and expectations, so the candidate can get a feeling not just for the company direction but the people behind it. Be creative with compensation: if the company does well, the people who made it happen should do great, too.

While a lot of people compare founding or working at a startup as a rollercoaster, I like to think of it as being on a boat subject to the tides. Riding a rollercoaster, you have no agency -- all you can do is passively sit there and wait for the ride to end. But sailing a boat, you have to learn how to navigate dangerous waters and make use of the tides. When the tide is high, such as when you closed some large deals or secured a round of funding, it will hide a ton of the dangers that lurk below the surface. It's OK to celebrate achievements, but don't get too carried away -- know that there will be an inevitable low tide. Likewise, don't fall into despair if a key customer cancels or a key employee leaves. The tide will rise again.

Founders should give up once their commitment starts to wane. Without their ongoing motivation and constant dedication, the company most often can't continue, though in some cases someone else may carry the torch. Commitment is a deeply personal choice. It's a combination of innate resilience, life experiences, personal situation and current environment. Persistence may yield the win needed to make it to the next milestone or may be just delaying the inevitable. The reality is that whether a founder is seen as a visionary who willed success through their perseverance or a delusional person who couldn't see the writing on the wall can only be resolved in time. Like with Schroedinger's cat, you are probably both until someone opens the box.