Tips for Creating the Perfect Startup Team: 3 Archetypes

Picture yourself in an elementary school classroom. Cue the student quietly practicing his multiplication tables in the corner. Now, cue the student filling his or her notebook with eccentric doodles, paying little attention to the world around. Finally, cue the charismatic student in the center of the room during recess surrounded by classmates laughing at his or her jokes.

Three characters in completely different worlds, yet when put together in a few years, the beginnings of a great startup. Having built Tallyfy with co-founders of very different backgrounds, I can confirm this pattern plays out exactly as described. In our experience working with early-stage technology companies - which represent about 9% of our customer base - we have observed that the teams who struggle most are those where everyone has similar backgrounds and perspectives. Balance matters most.

That said, there are no real formulas in life, and this applies to startup teams. When putting your team together, strive to find people in different worlds, so that each can contribute their unique perspectives.

If you want a framework to go with, though, you can try making a team of the three following archetypes. Refer to the image above for a visual clarification of the different worlds each type belongs to.

Three archetypes for the perfect startup team

The Idealist: This is the student with never-ending ideas, doodling in his or her notebook during class. This is the adult with an idea they are so passionate about they pursue it as a career.

The idealist is necessary for the perfect startup team to keep interest and confidence high among the team. His or her creativity will inspire endless options for your product.

The Businessman: This is the popular student who is excellent at persuading his or her parents to let him or her sleepover at a friend’s house this weekend. This is the adult who has pursued a career with a focus on financial and business functions because of his or her exceptional social skills.

The businessman constantly keeps the customer in mind. He or she is often responsible for making sure the product solves the problems of the consumer and then selling the product to the consumer. Feedback we have received from founders at growth-stage companies suggests that this archetype becomes especially critical when the startup transitions from product-market fit to scaling - someone needs to build the relationships with customers and investors that sustain growth. His or her charisma also becomes vital when seeking connections within the workplace, such as potential investors.

The Technician: This is the intellectual and often introspective student who enjoys playing video games or reading books in his or her free time. This is the adult who has extensive knowledge of technology - the type of technology dependent on the kind of startup.

Let’s say your product is software. You’re going to need a great programmer.

Or maybe your product is a physical object. You’ll probably need someone with engineering skills to build the product and even create your web page. From what I’ve observed in customer conversations at Tallyfy - with technology companies representing about 9% of our leads - without the technician, you have no product.