Begin forwarded message:
> From: First Round Review <review@firstround.com> > Date: 8 February 2022 at 18:00:09 CET > To: jj@cabuca.com > Subject: Unexpected advice from HubSpot for tackling the cornerstones of company building > Reply-To: First Round Review <review@firstround.com> > > > View this email in your browser > > February 8, 2022 > •••••• > This week, we got a chance to sit down with HubSpot’s co-founder and CTO for a trip down memory lane to the early days of the company. > The Company-Building Cornerstones Every Founder Needs to Focus On — Advice From HubSpot’s Dharmesh Shah > > With over $1 Billion in annual revenue and 100,000 paying customers, HubSpot has become one of the most successful SaaS companies in its 15-year history. But that might not have been the case had Dharmesh Shah kept a promise to his wife to leave startups behind for a less tumultuous career path. After meeting his future co-founder Brian Halligan, that zeal for startups and building something from scratch was reignited — and with his wife’s blessing, Shah started building a rocketship. > > Fifteen years later, Shah can look back on the early days and pinpoint the inflection points and key decisions that paved the runway for HubSpot’s takeoff. In this exclusive interview, he pays particular attention to five company-building cornerstones that every founder faces and offers plenty of unconventional advice. > > Here’s a preview of what’s in store: > > Cornerstone #1: Choosing a co-founder. Shah has strict directives to approach your co-founder assessment with as much rigor as you give to evaluating your startup ideas. His advice? Have the hard conversations now, rather than using a more lackadaisical, wait-and-see approach. > Cornerstone #2: Figuring out your role. While much has changed over the course of his 15 years as co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, through it all Shah has never taken on a direct report. He’s got guidance for other founders for leaning into your strengths, rather than trudging through your weaknesses. > Cornerstone #3: Hiring the early team. Countless column inches have been devoted to the topic of making your first hires, but Shah has his own unique take to add — namely, MBAs have a lot more to offer to early-stage startups than you might think. > Cornerstone #4: Scaling yourself as a founder. Don’t just rely on your company’s board members to provide a steady stream of feedback — implement your own annual feedback process and be clear about the personal bugs that are actually a feature. > Cornerstone #5: Codifying the culture. You may not expect the most introverted person at the company to take on Chief Culture Officer duties, but Shah makes a compelling case that it’s actually the right approach. He shares tips for applying an engineer’s mindset to treating company culture like a product. > Prefer to listen? Check out our podcast episode with Shah, right here. Thanks, as always, for reading (or listening!) and sharing. > > -The Review Editors > > Take me to The Review > Recommended resources: > Channeling Steve Jobs — how to write like the great entrepreneurs. > > Square’s growth framework for engineers and EMs. > > Why you should hire conscientious people (and how to find them). > > After wiring 50 angel investments, Cristina Cordova took to Twitter to share her biggest pieces of advice. > > The compounding skills that create success. > > Trending this week — Review Reads: > > Your Startup’s Management Training Probably Sucks — Here’s How to Make it Better > Yes, startups need management training too. Melissa and Johnathan Nightingale, founders of Raw Signal Group, explain how to get it right. > > Great Startups Deserve Great Brands — Build a Strong Foundation by Avoiding These Mistakes > Arielle Jackson has worked with hundreds of startups on brand strategy — here are the most common early marketing mistakes she sees founders make. > > The Best Managers Don’t Fix, They Coach — 4 Tools to Add to Your Toolkit > Anita Hossain Choudhry (The Grand, First Round) and Mindy Zhang (Dropbox, Oscar Health) unpack why managers fall into the “fixing” trap and make the case for adding coaching as a skill. > > When “Grin and Bear It” Isn’t the Right Answer — This Behavioral Scientist Shares What to Do Instead > Author and behavioral scientist Matt Wallaert shares how two studies (on holding a pen and carrying around a box of chocolate) can shape our outlook when we’re faced with a crisis. > We love feedback! How would you rate this week’s newsletter? 📋 > Great • Good • Meh > > Made with ✨ by First Round Capital. > Want to change how you receive these emails? > You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
> From: First Round Review <review@firstround.com> > Date: 8 February 2022 at 18:00:09 CET > To: jj@cabuca.com > Subject: Unexpected advice from HubSpot for tackling the cornerstones of company building > Reply-To: First Round Review <review@firstround.com> > > > View this email in your browser > > February 8, 2022 > •••••• > This week, we got a chance to sit down with HubSpot’s co-founder and CTO for a trip down memory lane to the early days of the company. > The Company-Building Cornerstones Every Founder Needs to Focus On — Advice From HubSpot’s Dharmesh Shah > > With over $1 Billion in annual revenue and 100,000 paying customers, HubSpot has become one of the most successful SaaS companies in its 15-year history. But that might not have been the case had Dharmesh Shah kept a promise to his wife to leave startups behind for a less tumultuous career path. After meeting his future co-founder Brian Halligan, that zeal for startups and building something from scratch was reignited — and with his wife’s blessing, Shah started building a rocketship. > > Fifteen years later, Shah can look back on the early days and pinpoint the inflection points and key decisions that paved the runway for HubSpot’s takeoff. In this exclusive interview, he pays particular attention to five company-building cornerstones that every founder faces and offers plenty of unconventional advice. > > Here’s a preview of what’s in store: > > Cornerstone #1: Choosing a co-founder. Shah has strict directives to approach your co-founder assessment with as much rigor as you give to evaluating your startup ideas. His advice? Have the hard conversations now, rather than using a more lackadaisical, wait-and-see approach. > Cornerstone #2: Figuring out your role. While much has changed over the course of his 15 years as co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, through it all Shah has never taken on a direct report. He’s got guidance for other founders for leaning into your strengths, rather than trudging through your weaknesses. > Cornerstone #3: Hiring the early team. Countless column inches have been devoted to the topic of making your first hires, but Shah has his own unique take to add — namely, MBAs have a lot more to offer to early-stage startups than you might think. > Cornerstone #4: Scaling yourself as a founder. Don’t just rely on your company’s board members to provide a steady stream of feedback — implement your own annual feedback process and be clear about the personal bugs that are actually a feature. > Cornerstone #5: Codifying the culture. You may not expect the most introverted person at the company to take on Chief Culture Officer duties, but Shah makes a compelling case that it’s actually the right approach. He shares tips for applying an engineer’s mindset to treating company culture like a product. > Prefer to listen? Check out our podcast episode with Shah, right here. Thanks, as always, for reading (or listening!) and sharing. > > -The Review Editors > > Take me to The Review > Recommended resources: > Channeling Steve Jobs — how to write like the great entrepreneurs. > > Square’s growth framework for engineers and EMs. > > Why you should hire conscientious people (and how to find them). > > After wiring 50 angel investments, Cristina Cordova took to Twitter to share her biggest pieces of advice. > > The compounding skills that create success. > > Trending this week — Review Reads: > > Your Startup’s Management Training Probably Sucks — Here’s How to Make it Better > Yes, startups need management training too. Melissa and Johnathan Nightingale, founders of Raw Signal Group, explain how to get it right. > > Great Startups Deserve Great Brands — Build a Strong Foundation by Avoiding These Mistakes > Arielle Jackson has worked with hundreds of startups on brand strategy — here are the most common early marketing mistakes she sees founders make. > > The Best Managers Don’t Fix, They Coach — 4 Tools to Add to Your Toolkit > Anita Hossain Choudhry (The Grand, First Round) and Mindy Zhang (Dropbox, Oscar Health) unpack why managers fall into the “fixing” trap and make the case for adding coaching as a skill. > > When “Grin and Bear It” Isn’t the Right Answer — This Behavioral Scientist Shares What to Do Instead > Author and behavioral scientist Matt Wallaert shares how two studies (on holding a pen and carrying around a box of chocolate) can shape our outlook when we’re faced with a crisis. > We love feedback! How would you rate this week’s newsletter? 📋 > Great • Good • Meh > > Made with ✨ by First Round Capital. > Want to change how you receive these emails? > You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.