First who, then what (hiring)
In one sentence
Get the right people on the team before deciding exactly where to go.
The simple version
Jim Collins found great companies hired great people first, then figured out strategy together. The right people adapt when plans change; the wrong ones struggle even with a good plan.
When in doubt, don't hire
Keep looking
When change is needed, act
Don't wait
Best people → best opportunities
Not biggest problems
Why it matters
Early hires shape the culture and speed of everything that follows.
How to do it
- 1Define the values and behaviours you need.
- 2Hire slowly; when in doubt, don't.
- 3Look for people who'd thrive if the plan changed.
- 4Act quickly when someone isn't working out.
- 5Put your best people on your biggest opportunities, not your biggest problems.
Real-world example
A founder delays hiring a sales lead for two months to find someone who fits the culture — and that person later hires the whole team.
What the books say
First who, then what — get the right people on the bus before deciding where to drive it.
Common mistakes
- Hiring friends because it's convenient.
- Hiring for skills only, ignoring values.
- Keeping the wrong person too long.
Questions people ask
When should I make my first hire?
When there's a clear, repeated job you're doing that's holding back growth — and revenue or funding to pay for it.
References
- [1]
- [2]
More books on this in the library
Who: The A Method for Hiring
Geoff Smart and Randy Street's systematic approach to hiring top talent. Essential for founders who need to build great teams but haven't hired much before.
Who
Written by Geoff Smart and Randy Street, 'Who' focuses on the importance of hiring the right team members for startups. It presents a 4-step method for successful hiring and includes interviews with high-profile leaders, aiming to help businesses avoid costly hiring mistakes.
Eat People
An entrepreneurship and startup strategy book that argues for building scalable, technology-driven businesses that ‘eat’ inefficient industries, offering contrarian principles on value creation, disruption, and modern capitalism for founders.
Scaling Teams: Strategies for Building Successful Teams and Organizations
A practical guide by Alexander Grosse and David Loftesness for leaders managing teams between 10 and 150 people. This O'Reilly book provides actionable strategies for hiring, management, organization design, culture, and communication during rapid growth.
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
Patrick Lencioni shows that organizational health—minimal politics, clarity, high morale—is the ultimate competitive advantage. Essential for scaling companies.
Trillion Dollar Coach
Trillion Dollar Coach imparts founders leadership lessons from Bill Campbell on team-first culture, trust-building, and coaching for scaling trillion-dollar companies. Key use cases include high-impact 1-on-1s, radical candor feedback, and fostering psychological safety in team building. Compared to High Output Management, it prioritizes relationships and emotional intelligence over operational systems.