Build Your Founding Team

Behind most successful startups is a great team. Typically, early-stage team members found the company together and are referred to as co-founders. The early team should be capable enough to build the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) themselves and test the business idea in practice. The team’s skills and commitment largely determine the startup’s future – which is why you should assemble the best possible group.

 

How big should the team be?

The optimal team size in the early stages is 2–3 people. However, it’s not wrong to start testing the idea on your own. A diverse team, though, offers advantages such as faster development, broader skills, new ideas, and increased motivation. While team members may have different skill sets, they should function as a single unit, with everyone interacting directly with customers.

 

What skills should the team have?

Ideally, the team should include someone who is actively engaging with customers (product owner) and someone who is building the product (development team). Despite this division, everyone should be closely involved in customer work. The team should cover at least the following areas:

• Product development: Someone who can build the technical solution or service.
• Design: Someone who handles user experience, visual design, and prototyping.
• Sales and marketing: Someone who can reach customers, gather feedback, and create demand.

 

Commitment is the key to success

When forming the team, it’s important to have open discussions about commitment. Consider together:

• How much time can each person dedicate to building the company?
• How much money are you willing to invest in the early stages?
• What are the expectations for equity distribution?

While it’s possible to test a business idea part-time alongside other work or studies, investors will later expect full-time dedication. It’s essential that all team members are mentally committed from the beginning. If someone is not fully onboard, it can jeopardize the startup’s future.

 

Build a shared vision and goals

Successful teamwork is built on shared goals and vision. Discuss together:

• Vision: What do you want to achieve? What will the product look like when it’s successful?
• Goals: What are the short- and long-term objectives?
• Work methods: How will you develop the product and business model?

You can, for example, use the Lean Startup method to develop your business model and product, and Scrum routines to organize weekly and daily work. A clear plan helps keep the team focused, even when circumstances change.