Instead, there is much more likely to be someone with fresh ideas and highly specialized skills who can bring value to the team, pushing it in new and exciting directions--better to have him on the team!
There is at least one other big reason that suggests abandoning the idea of going it alone. It is the fact that investors usually prefer to bet on a team rather than on a single entrepreneur. For them, in fact, it is preferable to invest in a strong, cohesive team that can cope with the challenges and ups and downs of the market.
To depend then on a single individual carries higher risks. In the event of illness, life changes, or other personal emergencies, business continuity can be compromised. Which, in contrast, becomes much more manageable if a team can be relied upon to provide stability and the ability to deal with a wide variety of situations.

Why is it difficult to create a startup team?

Although it is clear on paper the importance of creating a solid team to start a startup...there is a sea between saying and doing. It is not uncommon for a founder, in an excess of optimism, to convince himself or herself that starting and running a startup are feasible activities under the responsibility of an individual. Sometimes, lack of entrepreneurial experience may lead one to underestimate the difficulties and complexities involved in running a business. Those who want to do business may not be fully aware of the challenges and responsibilities that come with starting and growing a startup.

Another characteristic that makes it difficult to create a group is the difficulty of communicating a new business plan.
Being able to engage potential fellow travelers and convince them of the merits of the idea requires skills that not everyone has. Among them is the ability to be credible and to share a long-term vision.

To these possible obstacles can be added another: the lack of a network. Especially for first-time entrepreneurs, finding knowledgeable and like-minded people can be difficult, and it can happen to feel too far from the "right circle." One possible way to overcome this difficulty is to attend industry events, conferences, and meetups, such as the monthly meetings by ToTeM. It can be an effective way to expand one's network, connect with potential collaborators, exchange ideas, and assess whether there is a basis for starting a collaboration.

What figures are needed in a startup team?

Behind the success of every startup is an idea and a solid team that turns it into a successful venture. What professional skills does this team consist of?

Rei Inamoto, chief technology officer of AKQA, coined a concept called "3H Personality Theory". This combines the core competencies in a team for building and scaling a business. 

According to Rei Inamoto, "to create an effective team, you only need three people: a hipster, a hacker and a hustler."
Following the concept of Minimum Viable Team (MVT) any startup with this minimum team will be able to launch business activities. Let's look specifically at what these professionals are involved in:

Hustler

A hustler is basically the chief salesperson who advances the idea by driving business sales. He is the businessman who generates leads, makes deals and gets the job done. He knows how to deal with waste, who to sell products to, and how to make the business work.

Hacker

The hacker develops new technology for the company, builds product prototypes and works on their development. Also known as a back-end, front-end or even full-stack developer, the hacker may create algorithms and develop new technology for customers.

Hipster

The hipster is the designer and creative genius behind the products. He or she develops product designs while staying true to the brand to provide a satisfying experience for customers and ensures that product details are authentic and marketable.

Unendo questi tre ruoli si crea un team efficace che ha le carte in regola per dare vita ad una startup tech. L’hipster contribuisce alla creatività e agli elementi di design, l’hacker sviluppa le tecnologie necessarie e l’hustler si assicura che l’azienda generi contatti e ricavi. 

This combination proves effective in turning an entrepreneurial idea into a successful startup.

Another current of thought, however, would introduce within the perfect founder team an additional professional figure: the hound, who, in this context, is the one in charge of data analysis. With his presence we are talking about 4H and no longer 3H.

Hound

The analyst is dedicated to understanding customer needs through research and analysis. Before initiating sales, it is crucial to assess the product's market fit and promotion strategy. This approach suggests that many startups risk missing the opportunity to obtain and understand real customer feedback, which is critical for adapting product development and promotional strategies.

How to handle first hires?

In case the three or four founders get positive feedback from the market, they will face a new challenge: growing the team. To understand how to handle the first hires, we took a cue from what Mattias Tengblad told Forbes. Co Founder & CEO of Corite.

Hire proactive people who possess more than one skill

At the beginning of your startup project, it is advantageous to have people on the team who can fill multiple roles and work independently.
The ability to fill different roles is useful because the startup environment is characterized by dynamism. In this scenario, collaboration between different departments becomes smoother when the team is composed of versatile individuals.

For example, it might be appropriate to hire a graphic designer with excellent writing and communication skills or a programmer with experience in animation. Another useful characteristic of the very first employees of a startup is proactivity. So-called self-starters are able to identify areas for implementation and come up with ideas on how to make those improvements. They are also able to minimize downtime between tasks by figuring out on their own how they can be useful to the company's progress.

Choose a team that reflects your startup's values

During the selection stages...you will be presented with many resumes, and it will be very difficult to be able to choose from that vast list of highly qualified candidates for a specific position. Narrowing down the choice based solely on skills will not be easy at all. One way forward is to consider the core values on which your startup is based and take a long-term perspective.
Examples of statements such as Google's motto "Focus on the user and everything else will come accordingly" or Uber's principle of "Valuing ideas over hierarchy" highlight the importance of clearly defining the identity to which you aspire before you begin the hiring process. You can structure interview questions to propose to candidates to identify those that best meet your needs and share your values.
At the same time, it is advisable to engage in the formation of a team with diverse backgrounds, personalities, and working styles. A diverse team helps ensure a comprehensive view of the project and can enrich your startup.

Outsource work only if the situation requires it

There is a tendency to favor the idea that it is best to avoid outsourcing technical and product development aspects. Although there may be a temptation to hire an outside company to do what one does not know how to do, this approach is discouraged. As one moves on from the prototyping phase and regularly confronts users, the need for constant iteration of the product becomes apparent. This process requires an internal, patient, team-oriented approach that an external team, cannot satisfy.
Sometimes, however, data in hand, outsourcing to outside consultants may be a more cost-effective option than hiring employees.
By drawing up a list of necessary jobs and tasks, it is possible to determine whether these are one-time needs, recurring daily or weekly tasks, or activities that can be done on a set schedule (e.g., twice a year). At that point, the need to delegate some tasks may emerge, while optimizing the budget (critical in the early stages of the activity).

Do not hire more people than necessary

In the context of traditional business, wisely managed companies follow a standard operating practice of monitoring labor costs to adapt them to changing market conditions.
Many startups are launched during periods of a rising market, when investor and user interest is at its highest. This situation can cause founders to develop a false sense of security, leading them to enlarge their staff and spend less time formulating contingency operational plans, which are essential when market conditions change.
You should always keep a clear record of every employee and consultant with whom you have financial obligations, so that you have a true overview for making strategic decisions about when to expand or reduce the size of your team.

With these pointers, we hope to have given you a few more pointers for managing the composition of your team. For the success of your business keep in mind that a team is not just a group of individuals working together, but a collection of complementary talents united by a common vision.
Every member of your team will help define the future of your business. The road may be challenging, but it is the collective strength that turns challenges into opportunities and makes it possible to achieve extraordinary goals.
Are you looking for some key people for your business idea or is your team full? To expand your network you can visit us during one of the ToTeM events, while instead if your team is full you can report us your startup and help us implement the mapping of the Turin ecosystem that we have been pursuing for some time now!