Startups seem to tend towards more compact, high-quality teams. Famous examples include WhatsApp (which had 55 employees at acquisition), Instagram (which had 13 employees at acquisition), and Retool (which has 141 employees at a valuation of $2bn).
Of course, these examples are on the extremes and not always possible for every company. However, the general point stands. Three average team members do not make one good team member.
In Europe, organisations tend to become bloated quickly. It seems like headcount is the goal and not building an organisation with very bright, ambitious, and empowered people.
That’s why, at VIBOA, we are committed to keeping the team lean and agile, hiring people we would work for ourselves, and compensating for quality.
We are committed to not saving where it matters. Too many companies are looking towards cheaper outsourcing and/or lowering their hiring standards so that they can pay less.
We at VIBOA want to incentivise our team heavily. Both in terms of salary, but especially in terms of equity.
That is why we will pay above market and our equity packages are unusually large.
To retain and empower smart people, you need as pure a meritocracy as possible. That means the best ideas win, no matter who submits them. Arguments and points should be disassociated from age, seniority, and other factors and should be evaluated purely on merit.
Those that care the most, that work the hardest, and that provide the most value will be those that reap a disproportionate amount of the benefits.
There is a global movement towards remote work. It is often argued that remote work makes sense for everyone. It saves time (like commutes), it saves money (companies hire from cheaper regions and don’t need to pay for office/food) and it gives you access to a global talent pool.
However, what is often ignored are the intangible drawbacks. From first-hand experience and by talking to many other ambitious, smart people we have come to the opinion that in-person teams collaborate more effectively, create a better culture, and are more suited to people who want to learn and develop quickly.
There is just something about being able to shoulder-tap someone to ask them something or running into a friend/colleague at the coffee machine or having a discussion whilst showing your point on a whiteboard which “Zoom Watercooler” rooms and digital whiteboards cannot replicate.