What are the most important things to consider while building my team as a Nigerian StartUp Founder?
I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before - a business is only as strong as its team. It’s true. Especially with startups, your company is like a house with many pillars. Your team members are those pillars. And so if any pillar gets crushed, or isn’t strong enough to hold weight, it will affect the overall functionality and structure of that house.
Welcome to our part of the internet at Kudade, where we are empowering Nigerians to create wealth by connecting them to funding & profitable investment opportunities in StartUps & SMEs. In this blog, I’m going to be sharing with you the most important things you must consider while building your team as a StartUp Founder in Nigeria.
1 - Skills and Expertise: Hiring is basically you filling gaps. Based on the solution you’re providing, or the product you’re building, your team has gaps. Identify these particular gaps and then the specific skills and expertise needed to fill those gaps adequately. Now, you don’t have to look for perfection, but make sure that you are actually adding what you do need to your team. Look for individuals who possess the relevant experience, industry knowledge, and technical skills that align with your business needs. Consider both hard skills (technical expertise) and soft skills (communication, teamwork, problem-solving) when evaluating potential team members.
2 - Passion and Alignment with Vision: Yes, your business might be making a profit..or not - depending on the stage your startup is in, but that’s not the sole reason why it exists. Your StartUp has a vision, a mission, and also values. Whoever you invite to join your team must actually be passionate about all of that as well. A lot of Founders sometimes take this for granted, but trust me when I say that it is very very important. Building a StartUp is no easy feat. You need people who believe in you, your leadership, and also the vision of what you’re building. It will fuel their consistency and resilience, and it will also motivate you as the Founder when the going gets tough - because it will. Look for individuals who are excited and motivated to contribute to your startup's success. Shared enthusiasm also fosters a positive and productive work environment and helps create a cohesive team.
3 - Cultural Fit: Every startup has its unique work culture and dynamics. Are you fast-paced or laid-back? Are you huge problem-solvers? How often do the dynamics of your work environment change? What are the working hours? Is the product or service one that will require working on weekends, or being available at any time of the day? Look for individuals who can adapt to your business environment and work effectively within that context. If not, you’ll just keep hiring and firing because they won’t fit - and it won’t be because of skill set or experience.
4 - Entrepreneurial Mindset: Personally, working in a StartUp has truly shown me that having an entrepreneurial mindset is much more important than a lot of people think. You’ll need individuals who are proactive, resourceful, and willing to take calculated risks. You need a lot of generalists, especially for a start. People who can do many things very well, but probably don’t specialize in anything yet. They need to be able to navigate ambiguity, adapt quickly to change, and find creative solutions to challenges.
5 - Retention and Employee Development: Many times, startups face talent competition and limited resources, so it's essential to provide growth opportunities, competitive compensation packages, and a positive work culture. Create an environment that will support the professional development of your team members and also foster a sense of belonging.
Remember that building a strong team takes time and effort. Invest in it, and you’ll automatically increase the chances of building a successful StartUp in Nigeria.
