How to Build a Great Team

This Twitter thread is by Marc Randolph @mbrandolph (source: 03-21-2023). Randolph is the co-founder of Netflix.

Most CEOs recognize that the buck stops with them when it comes to the first two.

Unfortunately it’s the third one—building the team—that matters the most. So why do so many CEOs try to delegate it to someone else?

If you’re building a team and you really want the best, you can’t delegate. Finding the best candidates is not your board’s job, your investors’ job, or even your HR department’s job. And for god’s sake, it’s not a recruiter’s job. It’s your job.

It needs your direct attention, because that amazing person you’re looking for isn’t looking for you. They aren’t looking for a new job. They’re happy where they are. So if you want them, you have to go get them.

And here’s the best way I’ve found to do it: start taking names. Reach out to the smartest people you know and ask “who are the five best people you know who are doing this job?” Do that three times and there’s your list. Don’t limit your list to people who are out of work or actively looking—you want the best, NOT the available best.

Now go get ‘em.

More often than not, you’ll fail—remember, these people aren’t looking.

When that happens, just finish your phone call with “who are the five best people you know who are doing this job?” And off you go again.

When people tell you, “you’ll never be able to get that person,” you just have to reply, “leave it to me.”

In recruiting—as with everything entrepreneurs do—if you paid attention to the ones telling you “that will never work”, you’d have never even started.

Feature image generated via HackerNoon Stable Diffusion prompt of ‘The Avengers’