FERMÀT’s Post

I've had a ton of people DM me asking about our aggressive hiring strategy at FERMÀT. I thought I'd outline my main considerations so other founders can frame their thinking: (make sure to follow along in the Whiteboard Wednesday video below ) 1) It takes a lot of time to hire the best people. From the first time you meet someone to them joining your team, years could go by because the best people are already employed. For ex: I slid into Rabah's DMs for the first time a year before he joined the team. I was persistent, and eventually, it worked out. We also have a very good track record of people working part-time with us at first as this de-risks the relationship. Always be thinking about cultivating relationships over long periods. Rarely, great hires are an overnight story. 2) Founders should think about high autonomy hires. Autonomy comes from both task-relevant knowledge and having a very high slope. There are always particularities about a business that hires need to learn, and how well they can apply their task-relevant knowledge will be paramount. In general, hiring for high slope is a very useful play. Low slope, high competence hires are just knowledge banks — generally not great full-time. Founders should spend their time at the point where autonomy and slope are both high. 3) Do you have the infrastructure that enables a hire to lean into their superpowers? Most people don't spend time considering this — and they need to: Your organization needs to be set up in a way that enables leaning into strengths while not affecting the business with deficiencies. Here's an example relating back to Rabah: he is unafraid of greatness — he'll make big investments without fear if prompted. I lean on that through big questions, throwing challenges his way at all times. And he pushes back with the same. Because we spend time pushing each other in this regard, his superpower becomes enabled and our marketing accelerates. TL;DR — when you're hiring: 1) Don't be afraid to invest in years for the best people. 2) Founders should spend time hiring around competence and slope. 3) Set up an infrastructure that helps new hires excel within their areas of strength. Anything else you would add here? Drop a follow for more frameworks like this.

Helpful reminders on exec hiring from our friends at a16z Talent x Opportunity 1. Conduct no more than 2 executive searches at a time 2. Hire for what you want to accomplish in the next 12–18 months 3. Organizational structure and executive hiring go hand in hand 4. The CEO should lead the hiring process at this level "Different executives excel at different stages of growth. A common failure mode is hiring a great executive at the wrong stage." You said it a16z! It's advice we're often coaching our clients on. More here: https://lnkd.in/gyngmUhm

Hiring More vs. Hiring Right: A Sunday Morning Revelation This Sunday, as I woke up at my usual weekday time, something felt different. It wasn't the alarm clock or the light streaming through the window; it was my mindset. On weekdays, my thoughts are often preoccupied with what I "have to do." But on this particular Sunday, my mind wandered to what I "can do" with my time. In our quest to create a impactful products and organizations, we often find ourselves at a crossroads: hiring more people versus hiring the right people. It's a classic dilemma. Hiring more people seems like an obvious solution to growing workload and ambitions. It's a numbers game, right? More hands, more work done. However, this approach can often lead to diluted focus, mismatched skills, and a culture that's more about filling seats than fulfilling visions. On the other hand, hiring the right people, is more time-consuming and demanding in the short term. But, in the long term, it pays off. Immensely. It's not just about skills and experience. It's about finding those who share your vision, your 'why' and ready to journey with you. These individuals don't just do their job. They enrich your organization's culture, drive innovation. As leaders and entrepreneurs, we should strive to create an environment where everyone thinks about what they "can do". This mindset is infectious and can transform an organization from a place of work to a hub of innovation, passion and creativity. Let's seek those who resonate with our vision and values. And play long-term games with long-term people.

Have you ever felt the weight of hiring decisions on your shoulders? I wish I could help more small businesses and their MDs with their hiring. I wish I could take away the stress of not knowing if 'it'll work out'. Back in the 1990s, I was the first female football commentator for the BBC. It was a leap into the unknown. Every match, every word, I didn't know if it would resonate. But I had to trust my instincts. And that's exactly what small business owners must do. Trust in the process, but also seek out the right guidance. Running a business is like being on the football pitch; sometimes, you miss a goal. But that doesn't mean the game is over. 💟 Here’s why: → Mistakes are part of the journey. → Every wrong hire is a lesson learned. → You can always bounce back with the right strategy. 😍 I've seen businesses transform with just one great hire. The right person can bring fresh energy, innovative ideas, and drive. They can turn potential failures into successes. ❓ But how do you find that person? → Look beyond CVs. → Focus on character and fit. → Embrace unconventional backgrounds. I’ve seen tech startups and B2C product companies thrive because they took chances. They hired people who were passionate, driven, and aligned with their vision. And those hires became the backbone of their growth. So, small business owners: Don’t let the fear of hiring wrong hold you back. Dive deep. Trust your instincts. And remember every setback is just another step towards success. Keep pushing forward. Who’s ready to take that leap? Share your stories or tag someone who needs this reminder.

One of my favorite questions to ask founders is, “What is your contrarian take on hiring?” Maxwell Bonnie gave me two great ones in our recent conversation. 1) Founders should be involved in every hire through the first couple of hundred hires. “Only a few people see the big picture and really understand a start-up's core, and I want that to be part of the hiring process.” 2) There's a higher bar for being a hiring manager. “Just because you're going to manage this person does not mean you're making the decision.” “A hiring manager has such a higher bar that I want as few people as possible to have that bar so that we can keep talent as good as possible.” I couldn’t agree more with him on both of his takes on hiring. 

Have you ever felt the weight of hiring decisions on your shoulders? I wish I could help more small businesses and their MDs with their hiring. I wish I could take away the stress of not knowing if 'it'll work out'. Back in the 1990s, I was the first female football commentator for the BBC. It was a leap into the unknown. Every match, every word, I didn't know if it would resonate. But I had to trust my instincts. And that's exactly what small business owners must do. Trust in the process, but also seek out the right guidance. Running a business is like being on the football pitch; sometimes, you miss a goal. But that doesn't mean the game is over. 💟 Here’s why: → Mistakes are part of the journey. → Every wrong hire is a lesson learned. → You can always bounce back with the right strategy. 😍 I've seen businesses transform with just one great hire. The right person can bring fresh energy, innovative ideas, and drive. They can turn potential failures into successes. ❓ But how do you find that person? → Look beyond CVs. → Focus on character and fit. → Embrace unconventional backgrounds. I’ve seen tech startups and B2C product companies thrive because they took chances. They hired people who were passionate, driven, and aligned with their vision. And those hires became the backbone of their growth. So, small business owners: Don’t let the fear of hiring wrong hold you back. Dive deep. Trust your instincts. And remember every setback is just another step towards success. Keep pushing forward. Who’s ready to take that leap? Share your stories or tag someone who needs this reminder.

Was chatting to a VP of Engineering earlier this week about hiring – process, challenges etc. And what they said probably strikes a chord with a lot of hiring managers in todays market. Recruitment agencies are a luxury few can afford at the moment, but there’s a reason why there are so bloody many of them”. And there are a lot. Over 30,000 of them. In the UK. In contrast, in the agency world, there’s still a lot of talk about “waiting for the market to return” and how “things will pick up”. But there’s not a lot of talk about innovation. Or changing how they support their customers. Couple this with the success that hiring managers have had hiring directly in recent months, and it makes me wonder what these agencies are actually waiting for. Will the market return to “what it once was” or is this the shift away from over reliance and spending on talent? My guess, the 30,000 agencies will increase (perhaps not what most wanted to hear). More boutique businesses, with closer relationships, different pricing strategies and different ways of measuring success. Better conversations with hiring managers, better solutions, better results. The industry is evolving. Slowly. What's the first thing that needs to change?

When to Hire and Fire - Lessons from a Founder Nothing is more destructive than working with the wrong people ---- Over the years, I’ve interviewed, hired, and coached hundreds of people. I’ve felt the pain of firing someone for underperformance or toxicity. I’ve known the devastating heartache of letting go of a team because the money ran out. What may seem like a mundane set of activities within an organization actually tends to be the most emotionally intense. As a leader of a growing organization, hiring is one of the most important responsibilities you must bear. The decision you make by bringing someone onto your team will have some of most significant and long-lasting impact on your business. Why? ---- It’s About the People At the end of the day, every business and organization is built by PEOPLE. Say what you will about AI automating all the jobs away, it will be a very long time before you can run a business without any humans. Not only are people your primary teammates, partners, and allies, they are also your customers. In a traditional job, it’ll be your co-workers who you spend nearly 1/3 of your waking life with. It’s for good reason, they do a lot for your organization: * Share the load and get the work done. * Possess unique skills and ideas, leveraging their creativity and imagination to drive innovation. * Provide perspective and judgement. * Create culture—attracting, retaining, and motivating other talent. * Represent your first customers, building and informing your product and services. * Serve as ambassadors of your brand. ---- Where Hiring Goes Wrong Over the years, I’ve made many hiring mistakes— bringing in wrong team members due to lack of due diligence and biases from close relationships. Over time, they became profound lessons in discernment. Who you bring onto your team will affect your business in myriad ways. Read on.... 👇 https://lnkd.in/gnyfyeJw

Hiring too early wastes resources; hiring too late stalls growth. Knowing when your business is ready to hire is critical for scaling effectively. 90% of team building should occur during your "High Growth Phase." Here’s how to identify it: Is your offer consistently attracting new clients? Can you scale your offer by increasing ad spend or exploring new channels without a significant drop in conversions? Can you run your offer repeatedly with minimal changes? If you can answer yes to all three, you’re in the High Growth Phase. It’s time to build your team. Use your profits to hire skilled staff who can manage and optimize your growth processes. This includes sales staff, general managers, and operational managers. In this stage, you should have established growth processes. The goal now is to automate these processes. When demand exceeds capacity by 10-15%, hire more staff. Set specific milestones for onboarding new hires. For example, if your team can efficiently handle 9 clients, hire another member when you reach 10 clients. To grow your business, you must grow your team. View employees as investments, not expenses. Many entrepreneurs stall because they fear the cost of hiring. The reality is, growing alone is incredibly slow and challenging. Invest in your team like you invest in marketing. If you're in the growth phase, start hiring now. If not, prepare by setting benchmarks in advance. #businessgrowth #Teambuilding #Scaleyourbusiness #Investinpeople#digitalmarketing 

Stuck in the frustrating cycle of hiring, firing, and rehiring? You’ve hustled, worn every hat, and now you’re finally ready to grow your team but instead of relief, you find yourself trapped in the same loop (hire, fire & rehire). Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many business owners face this challenge. But here's the good news: You have more control than you think. Here are three common reasons this happens and how you can break the cycle. 1️⃣ Lack of Clear Expectations: If your expectations aren’t clear, neither will your team’s be. Without defining roles and responsibilities, new hires struggle to meet your needs. Take time to document why you're hiring and what success looks like for the role. 2️⃣ Hiring Solely for Experience: Experience is important, but alignment with your company’s values is critical. Clearly define your vision, mission, and values, and use them to guide your hiring decisions. This ensures you’re bringing on someone who fits both the role and your culture. 3️⃣ Weak or Nonexistent Onboarding: A strong start is key. Onboarding should set up your new hires for success, not frustration. A well-designed process helps them understand the business, their role, and how they can contribute effectively from day one. Ready to build a solid team that sticks? Let’s connect and strategize on how to prepare your business for your next hire and build the dream team you've been envisioning! #BusinessLeaders #EmergingLeaders #HighPerformanceTeams #OperationalExcellence