Published Aug 29, 2018

E850: All #AskJason! Marketplaces, joining VC, social media, C corp, hiring, networking outside SV

Jason Calacanis delves into breaking into venture capital with inventive strategies, examines the growth potential of open platforms for startups, tackles social media's privacy and envy pitfalls, and shares expert advice on team culture and remote hiring excellence.
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Episode Highlights

  • Team Culture

    Creating a positive team culture is essential for motivation and bonding. shares insights from his friend Dave Goldberg, who emphasized family values at SurveyMonkey, allowing employees to prioritize family without judgment. This approach attracted talent who preferred a supportive work environment over tech giants like Facebook or Google 1. Jason also highlights unique team-building experiences, such as a scuba diving trip, which fostered high-functioning teams and memorable bonding moments 2.

    One of our core principles is that family is the most important thing and that we are a family here.

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    He suggests offering bucket list experiences to motivate teams and stresses the importance of defining and codifying company culture to prevent chaos.

       

    Remote Hiring

    Hiring a remote team offers strategic advantages, especially in terms of cost. Jason discusses a clever strategy used by a portfolio company to identify affordable talent by hosting interviews in various cities like Salt Lake City and Austin 3. This approach allowed them to find high-quality candidates while minimizing expenses.

    They figured out what I call the lazy way, what is the least amount of effort to get the maximum result?

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    He advises startups to explore different markets, leveraging geographic cost differences to maximize their hiring budget 4. This method not only saves money but also taps into diverse talent pools.

       

    Incentives & Benefits

    Offering attractive incentives and benefits is crucial for startups to attract top talent. Jason emphasizes the importance of stock incentives and flexible work schedules, which can significantly enhance a startup's appeal 5. He also stresses the need for clear mission statements and guiding principles to align team efforts and foster a strong company culture 6.

    You can have a mission statement like our mission statement is at launch to support founders and inspire innovation.

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    By clearly defining these elements, startups can ensure that employees are committed to the company's vision and values, making them more likely to stay and contribute positively.

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