MachinaTek Assemble!
By Newton Asimov
“The ground cracks open underneath my feet, rocks and gravel tearing beneath me into the abyss. From out of the chasm rises an army like I have never seen before. Resembling things you only see in comic books (get it?). Fighting through the masses, one down here, CRASH! Another smashed there, BAM! Feeling overwhelmed, after all, I just have my shield, I call out for help. Not a sound carries on the wind in response.” Sadly our superhero died.
When entering the small business and entrepreneurship arena, you learn two things rather quickly. First, it’s going to be one of the most difficult things you’ve ever tried before. Second, you cannot do it by yourself. Even the greats couldn’t, Rockefeller had Vanderbilt, Jobs had Wozniak, Marvel had DC. My point is that this was something that needs to be understood early on in the game. Wake up and realize that for all your strengths you have twice as many weaknesses. The best thing you can do when you decide you’re going to finally open up that business is start looking at yourself objectively rather than subjectively.
This is one of the hardest things you’ll have to commit to because frankly, it is not a skill everyone has. It takes time learning to take a step back and really assess your surroundings, and then yourself. You see, once you know what you’re really not good at, you can start to look for people who fill in those gaps. That thought is scary, because if you do not choose wisely, it could potentially bite you in the rear later on. I know there a bagillion articles out there telling you what makes up the perfect team but I just wanted show you what worked best for us.
THE LEADER
No matter what your business entails you need someone of action. Make sure if you’re this person then you have that ability to assess yourself and your surroundings. You cannot be afraid to make decisions, even some that the others might not like. This is, in fact, the reality of business. You need to make it abundantly clear once you start, and have everyone else agree on it, that there has got to be a head on the snake and that head is you. Don’t be an ass because of this. You need to realize that as a leader you’re not going to know everything but you’ll find it out if there ever is a question. Educate yourself to become an expert in your industry and in return expect to be the direct reflection of your company.
THE FOUNDATION
Every team has one. This needs to be an individual that can take punishment but has compassion and drive deep down in their heart. That is extremely knowledgeable and will work long into the night to complete tasks on time. If you are this person, you need to realize the importance of what you do. This person usually is the glue of communication between the team. Easy to talk to and get along with. Because of the nature of this person they always seem to have sound advice and as a leader you would be wise to seek counsel with them.
THE VETERAN
I get it, you’re going into business and more than likely you have never done anything like this before. This is where the person that has extensive experience in your field becomes crucial. They are someone who will always speak their mind based off their experience in situations you will encounter. You will just have to accept, however, that this is not nor should be someone who always agrees with you. Every good team has opposing opinions and thoughts, it is how you go about filtering through those and coming to a common goal that truly counts. As the leader, respect this person and understand you will have to spend time to earn their respect but it is attainable and worth every minute spent gaining theirs.
THE WILDCARD
Now this is where you round it all out. The wildcard, an extremely creative and talented prodigy with multiple skills and an eagerness to continue growing through the company. You never can quite expect the same exact results from this person, just that it always comes out fresh and amazing. They are fearless and carefree, but still understand the value of what they are building. For the most part as the leader you should just act like a bumper for them. Let them make their own path, just coach them and educate them along the way.
Now this is what has worked for us and still we continue to grow and add new super heroes to our company. This part of your business should be fun and exhausting. Some wise caveats to this are to be careful hiring close friends and family without clear expectations and consequences laid out in the beginning. Trust me it will save you headaches down the road. Also, never settle. You have the best product or service to do your job right? You better be the best or you shouldn’t be in this game. When you’re the best, you need the best. Make your own super hero team and own it.
That’s what we did.
