Entrepreneurs: What Do You Say?
Post from: MAPpingCompanySuccess
An article in the Canadian Globe & Mail listing ten realities of working for a startup sparked a discussion with a group of entrepreneurs.
Everyone agreed that ‘what do you tell candidates during interviews’ is too general a question, so here are some of the specific questions they voiced.
- How safe is it to assume that everybody who applies to a startup has read/heard enough to know the pitfalls?
- How much of the “down side” should be mentioned during an interview, especially with highly desirable candidates.
- Should you bring up the need to pivot—often more than once—when the end result may have little relationship to the candidate’s stated interests?
- What is the pivot is already on the drawing board, but not yet public?
- How do you respond to questions about how company failure would affect their career?
- What do you say to someone with desperately needed skills who is willing to start in that area, but wants to learn new areas in a reasonably short period?
- What do you say when the candidate questions the option package and asks about option pool, investment rounds and dilution?
- Should you hire if you still have some money, but your investors have lost interest and are recommending closing the company?”
- Should the fact that the candidate would be resigning from a current position to join you make a difference?
How have/would you handle these questions in an interview you were conducting?
Come back next week to see responses from the group.
Image credit: arte_ram