Gianna Santaniello’s Post

DONT HIRE SOMEONE FOR TODAY'S JOB--INSTEAD, HIRE UP. I made a few costly mistakes by hiring quickly just to fill a position.. "What ended up happening when we have people on our team who don't have the necessary training and experience, they will be overwhelmed, and mistakes will happen. When mistakes happen, usually the owner becomes the office asshole, exerting total control to prevent future mistakes." - Growth Paradox, Jacky FIscher Then this takes away the owner's focus on strategy and he/she will start working in the business doing menial work. And a loss of strategic goals stagnate the company's growth trajectory. [READ CHART] SO, HIre someone from the type of company you want to be in five years who already know how to put structures and processes in place that you may not have currently. Moving from startup phase to growth stage means putting in more processes that the decision making becomes more and more decentralized from the owner---and that people are more empowered to make decisions. The owner removes oneself from day to day operations more while still looking over the process and structures. #Movingawayfromstartup #towardsgrowthphase #thegrowthparadox #failingtoplanisplanningtofail

I have three strategies for founders to not only survive but thrive during challenging growth periods in their organization. 🌟The first is creative problem-solving. One of my favorite quotes from my former boss, Marissa Mayer, is, "Creativity loves constraint!" In a growth period, founders have the opportunity to be more efficient and focused on long-term planning. Avoid being reactionary and short-term thinking. Instead, stay in touch with your customers and solve their problems; this lets you maintain a personal relationship that big companies often lack. 🌟The second is talent acquisition. Many founders' number one need is talent, which can be tough to find in this competitive environment. Focus on building relationships with highly talented individuals early on and helping them understand your organization's mission and vision. (Plus, with the recent layoffs, take this opportunity to attract experienced individuals who can bring their expertise and playbooks to your early-stage organization.) 🌟Last is efficiency and innovation. As companies grow, innovation becomes harder. From the beginning, you should focus on robust, efficiency–building systems for internal communications and fostering a culture of drive and ambition will ensure innovation is baked into every aspect of your company. By embracing creative problem-solving, attracting top talent, and prioritizing efficiency and innovation, founders can navigate rapid growth and ultimately thrive. If you're a founder struggling with these challenges, I'm here to help. I specialize in working with fast-growth companies to grow, scale, and innovate to increase revenue, attract the right investors, hire competitive talent, and align internal growth strategies. #HiringRight #Talent #Startup #Founder #Innovation

Unlocking Growth: A Lesson for First-Time Founders! Limited resources can be a challenge, but for new founders, constant hiring is the key to success. Don't settle—keep the team dynamic! Embrace unconventional methods, and actively seek talents who resonate with your vision. Cultivate connections, transform potentials into core team members. In the entrepreneurial journey, every connection counts. Despite financial constraints, the right hires can be game-changers. Let's redefine hiring strategies, turning limitations into opportunities! So dear friends, what hiring tip would you like to give me ? Let's continue the conversation in the comments below! #StartupWisdom #HiringInnovation #EntrepreneurialJourney #indianstartup

I wrote about "fail-proof roles" in last week's newsletter, and it generated a good question from one of our readers: Paraphrased ... You wrote that for a role to be fail-proof, it should fit within a 40-hour work week. Startups and entrepreneurial ventures sometimes require more commitment than 40 hours per week - how do you reconcile that? My thoughts ... Non-VC-backed startups (like nearly all commercial real estate companies) share a common hiring problem. Their budgets are tight, and even if they have money, they don't have the brand to attract really great talent. As such, they can't hire the dynamic leaders that their bigger competitors (Blackstone, Hines, Prologis, etc) can hire, but they still need good people to help them grow. This is where fail-proof roles come into play. If you can design a role where you can remove and replace talent without massive disruption to the business, then you're positioned very well to scale.  There are a ton of people of varying skill levels who are happy to work a 40-hour week, but that pool of candidates shrinks substantially when you ask them to work 60 hours (especially on a startup budget). As such, scaling becomes harder b/c you have less access to good talent. When you find someone who is great at their job, comfortable with startup compensation, and willing to work 60+ hours, KEEP THEM! They're hard to find. #hiringishard

Attention Startup Visionaries! Before you start hiring people to join your team, make sure that your business model, capital planning, and asset acquisition are in place. Neglecting these key aspects can lead to irreparable damage, including delayed salaries, redundancies, and frustration. Take the time to ensure that your foundation is strong before building your dream team. #StartupTips #BusinessAdvice #EntrepreneurMindset #HumanResources

When we launched our startup four years ago, we were laser-focused on growth. As we started gaining traction, we noticed something crucial: our team was stretched thin, and we were constantly playing catch-up. We knew we needed a better strategy. One day, we had a pivotal meeting with a mentor who shared a story that changed our approach. He told us about a successful company that had anticipated its growth by hiring ahead of demand. This company didn’t wait for the workload to become overwhelming; instead, they built a robust team early on. This foresight allowed them to stay agile, innovate, and scale seamlessly. Inspired, we decided to adopt this proactive strategy. We started by forecasting our needs, looking at market trends, and setting ambitious yet achievable goals. We then focused on building a talent pipeline, engaging with potential candidates through networking events and online platforms. We didn’t wait for a position to open up to start these conversations. With a clear plan and a bit of financial adjustment, we began hiring ahead. The initial investment paid off. New team members had the luxury of time to integrate into our culture, understand our values, and get up to speed without the pressure of immediate high-stakes tasks. This smooth onboarding process made them more effective and engaged. As a result, when new projects came in or unexpected challenges arose, we were ready. Our team’s flexibility and preparedness became one of our biggest strengths. We were no longer just reacting to growth; we were driving it. Looking back, hiring ahead was one of the best decisions we made. It taught us the value of foresight and the power of being prepared. If you’re aiming for sustainable growth, consider hiring ahead. It might just be the key to your success. #HiringAhead #GrowthStrategy #ProactivePlanning

Your first few hires determine your future hiring success. Too many companies neglect culture until they hit 10 employees. Their first hires have such vast responsibilities and targets that team-building takes a back seat. This happens because they don't need hand-holding - they know how to get on with it. (They wouldn't have been hired otherwise). But, most companies then end up with very independent employees who rarely collaborate. They might impress investors now, but they'll face a huge culture debt and an "us vs them" mentality when they try to scale. Your first hires shape your company. They take your initial vision and develop it even further. There's potential for them to be valuable long-term players, but not at the expense of future hires. So, don't forget to actively build the culture you envision from the very beginning. #Culture #Scaling #Startups #Founders #Hiring

Avoid these 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 after 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 and save yourself from trouble. Hiring and growing the team remains one of the top three priorities for founders after a fundraise, alongside business growth and profitability. Unfortunately, sometimes mistakes happen. Don’t make these mistakes if you're expanding your team after a recent fundraise:- 1️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 - Before seeking candidates, create a clear picture of the role's requirements. Align high-level objectives with available resources. For example, 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝟥𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 or a 𝟥𝘹 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 requires different profiles and teams. Consult your finance team to ensure financial feasibility. Once you understand the "𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘴," you'll know who to hire. 2️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 - Not setting expectations and processes for new roles is a critical mistake. Remember, processes supersede people. Don't leave it to the new hire to figure out responsibilities and goals. 3️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 - They know the business and audience inside-out. Get them on board, earn their trust, and ask if they're ready for more responsibility. Giving leadership roles to your existing employees saves onboarding time and resources and fosters a positive environment where employees feel valued and receptive to new leadership. 4️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 - Don't just copy other companies' titles (e.g., "XYZ"). Analyze your company structure, objectives, and finances to determine your actual hiring needs. Without a clear understanding of these three elements, you're just shooting in the dark. This might work sometimes, but it often fails. 5️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 - Keep your team informed about hiring needs and solicit their input wherever possible. They may not have the specific skills or experience required, but they understand the company's requirements. Don't ignore their valuable insights. Additionally, keeping them involved prepares them for what to expect. #startuphiring #fundraisingsuccess #scalesteam #hiringmistakes #foundersadvice #teambuilding #growthhacking #venturecapital #startupgrowth #recruitingprocess #onboarding #companyculture #leadership #talentmanagement #entrepreneurship

Top 5 Hiring Mistakes to Avoid in Startups When it comes to start-up recruitment, the cost of a bad hire is much more than just financial. The wrong person can result in wasted time, resources, and worst --- break your team's morale. Here are the top five common hiring mistakes I've observed: 🚫 Following trends - Just because a role is trendy or someone has an impressive title doesn't mean they'll fit with your business. 🚫 Ignoring culture fit - Skillset matters but not as much as attitude and alignment with your company’s values. 🚫 Rushing the process - Quick hires often lead to quick fires. Take your time to find the right person. 🚫 Lacking diversity - It’s not just about fairness, diverse teams have been proven to drive innovation and better results. 🚫 Not selling the vision - Candidates are now more intrigued by where you're going than what you're offering. #createthefuture #startups #hiringstrategy