Finding co-founders or a 'Minimum Viable Team' for a startup is a big issue, as it can significantly increase your chances of success. Particularly during the early stages. This presentation will you a quick overview about Hustlers, Hipsters and Hackers and the things you might want to know about you (co-)founder before starting out. Much of the information in this presentation was taken from Charlie O'Donnells blog article: http://www.thisisgoingtobebig.com/blog/2012/8/22/minimum-viable-team.html

1. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
15.04.2014

2. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Agenda
1. Presentation: The Minimum Viable Team
2. Pitch
3. Mingle
4. Commit

3. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
The Minimum Viable Team

4. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
1. Who The Hell Am I?
Andreas Mose (aspiring Tarzan)
www.startup-simple.de
a.mose@startup-simple.de
089 / 18 965 860
0179 / 68 30 184

5. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
2. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen ...
Finding the commitment to make it happen
Finding the right people to make it happen

6. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Committing Yourself
Commitment requires the willpower to see things through (volition).
Volition is influenced by 5 factors:
2) Self-confidence / assertiveness
5) Managing moods & emotions
3) Foresighted planning & problem solving
4) Goal-based self-discipline
1) Focusing your attention

7. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Finding Your Team
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Design
7) Product Management
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance

8. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Finding Your Team
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Design
7) Product Management
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance

9. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Finding Your Team
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Design
7) Product Management
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance Outsourced crap→

10. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Product Management
7) Design
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance Outsourced crap→
3. Finding Your Team
Marketing:
Understanding the customer & his
needs in order to create, com-
municate & package easy to use
products that he considers valuable
for achieving his goals.
Involves:
– Deep understanding of the target
customer
– Ability to figure out what he
consideres valuable
– An awesome product
– Great UX

11. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Product Management
7) Design
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance Outsourced crap→
3. Finding Your Team
Team member 1
Job: Customer Experience
– Marketing
– Product Management
– Design

12. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Product Management
7) Design
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance Outsourced crap→
3. Finding Your Team
Sales:
At an early stage, you are usually not
certain what the final product will be.
So you will not only be selling the
current product to customers, but
also to possible partners in exchange
for distribution, financing or whatever.
Involves:
– Generating outside interest
– Finding potential partners

13. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Product Management
7) Design
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance Outsourced crap→
3. Finding Your Team
Team member 2
Job: Attract outside interest
– Sales
– Business Development
– PR
– HR

14. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
1) Engineering
2) Marketing
3) Sales
4) Business Development
5) PR
6) Product Management
7) Design
8) HR
9) Operations
10) Finance Outsourced crap→
3. Finding Your Team
Team member 3
Job: Build the product
– Coding

15. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Finding Your Team
Hustler
Generate outside
interest
Hipster
Deliver great
customer
experience
Hacker
Build the damn
thing
● Analytical
● Structured
● Reliable
● Focused
● Stress-resistant
● Creative
● Empathetic
● Thoughtful
● Good communicator
● Minimalist
● Go-Getter
● Die-hard
● Disciplined
● Extroverted
● Networker
Helpful personality traits:

16. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Finding Your Team
Ideally, team members will have different skill sets but
similar values and goals.
And: Your goals should have a bigger purpose than inflating
your ego and/or becoming rich.

17. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
3. Finding Your Team
1)
The money you earn, is the result of the value your
business delivers.
2)
The value you deliver, is the result of how well you
understand your customer.
3)
You will understand your customer better, the more
you actually care about his problems.

18. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
4. Next Steps
1) Everybody with an idea or a startup gets the
chance to pitch
2) Interested co-founders get the chance to chat
up founders
3) Committing yourselves to the next step

19. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Pitch!

20. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Pitch
Everybody with an idea or a startup gets the chance
to pitch. Tell us about:
1) What Problem do you want to solve for
whom?
2) What are your learnings so far?
3) Who are you looking for and why?

21. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Mingle!

22. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Mingle
Interested co-founders get the chance to chat up
founders
Questions you might want to ask:
● What are you passionate about?
● What drives you mad (about other people)?
● How would your friends describe you?
● What was the single most important moment in your life?
● What skills do you have?
● What skills are you looking for in a (co-)founder?
● Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
● Why should I pick you?
● When did you last fail and what did you learn from it?
● What was you biggest success as a hustler/hipster/hacker?
● What personally trait of yours is currently limiting your success as a
hustler/hipster/hacker?

23. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Commit!

24. startup simple | www.startup-simple.de | 089 / 18 965 860 | info@startup-simple.de
Commit
Committing yourselves to the next step
You need to find out 2 things about each other:
1) Can you work together?
2) Can you have fun together?
→ Go on 1 or more dates with your (co-)founder
First date: Go for a drink!
Second date: Have a jam session (work on a
business modell, interview some customers, etc.)