Small companies need generalists to fill multiple roles while big companies can hire specialists. When building a team, founders should focus on their own roles and hire for weaknesses, measuring metrics and trusting instincts. Hires should understand customers and be enthusiastic finishers who can independently execute work on time and quality through planning and communication.

1. Building the team

3. Small companies need generalists
Big companies need specialists

5. Where do the founders fit?
- CEO, Product, CTO, Sales, Marketing?
- Hire for your weaknesses
- Focus on doing your own job well
- Keep watching, measuring and talking
- Trust your metrics
- Trust your instincts

6. Hire people that
understand your
customers

7. Execution
=
Quality, on time.

8. Planning
&
communication

9. If you're a “starter” ...
… hire a “finisher”

10. Find someone who’s enthusiastic. Someone you can
trust to get things done when left alone. Someone
who’s suffered at a bigger, slower company and longs
for a new environment. Someone who’s excited to
build what you’re building. Someone who hates the
same things you hate. Someone who’s thrilled to climb
aboard your train.
37signals - “Getting Real”