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If the founder/ceo has been in his industry for a while yet all the people working with him at the startup have never worked with him before. Huge red flag. Ask
by kolya3 17y ago
If the founder/ceo has been in his industry for a while yet all the people working with him at the startup have never worked with him before. Huge red flag. Ask yourself: why can't this guy attract people from his network? Why don't they want to work with him ever again?
- evgen 17y agoDepending on the nature of the startup this is not necessarily a red flag. From my first startup, of the four original employees two went to google (one joined pre-IPO and has since gone to grad school and one is still there), one started his own company, and the fourth is working for the third; it would be hard for me to lure them back to being employees at a scrappy little startup. If the founder is doing something completely different than previous ventures then past employees may also be poor matches for the technology or product. It is worth asking for a reference or two from previous ventures, but be prepared for "I didn't realize how important getting A-level talent was back then and will not make that mistake twice" as the answer to your question.