3 People You Need for a Startup

To get a startup off the ground, you’ll need three types of people. Now, it’s also possible that one person will have two or all of these traits. These people are rare gems, and they’re definitely out there. But for the rest of us, we’ll need help. If you have the next big idea and are trying to assemble your team of founders, these are the three people you must get.

Business Man

No matter how good your idea is, if you want to make money from it, you’ll need someone with a nose for business. Some may think the business man can come later (via angel investors or hiring a CEO when the startup is off the ground). But the value this person brings is to see the long term cost of your decisions today. The earlier you have this person, the less it will cost in the future (and I would argue at a big cost to your future). Essentially, a good business man will be able to bridge the gap between today’s limitations and tomorrow’s potential. Additionally, this person will insist on benchmarks and goals, projections and plans to keep your eyes on the ball. It’s easy to drift into la la land as entrepreneurs, trying to bring your passions and dreams into reality. The business man keeps you grounded to ensure realistic success, rather than pursuing fantasy.

Tech Guy

There’s no way around technology anymore. Customers will demand it. And it mostly comes at such a low monetary cost that there’s no excuse not to have it. You might be able to get away with hiring out and paying for packaged services, but there’s nothing like having a tech guy available 24/7 for tweaks, debugging, and consultation without having to worry about the number of hours you can afford. A low-tech tech guy is minimal. But a good tech guy will get you leaps and bounds more advantage. Convenience, customization, security, and information are high commodities and users are willing to pay for it. If you can’t offer these things, you have instantly created a limit on your reach. The time when businesses with no technology will be obsolete is fast approaching, and shortly after will be the ones with little technology. Keep up.

People Person

Networking has always been important, but it is now a completely different animal. Networking no longer means mixers and golfing with the boss. Today we need branding, social media presence, and the landscape for marketing has changed. This person needs to be willing to go door-to-door, but know ahead of time which door to knock on. This person needs to lead a tribe, not of fans and followers, but of other tribe leaders who will bring their own fans and followers. With limited time and resources, this person doesn’t just network, he creates networks. He doesn’t just make friends, he makes connections. And he doesn’t just make a sale, he makes an evangelist.

It’s both harder and easier than ever to start your own business. The costs are low but so are the odds of success. More and more of us are taking the leap to create something we can call our own. I don’t think when we founded Killer Aces Media, we had all these things in mind. But we knew we each represented strengths and weaknesses that the others didn’t have. And while we all have overlapping traits in the above areas, I think we each stand strong in one particular area, none more important than the other, and each supporting the other in balance.

As we enter into the next phase of our little company, I let out a sigh of relief, gratitude, hope, and anxiety. We’ve broken even. We’ve gotten “off the ground.” Now, we build. Now, we grow. Now, we see how far we can go.