Zero to a Thousand
How to scale your team at internet speed
Paul Forster
Indeed employees
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Dec,2005
Dec,2006
Dec,2007
Dec,2008
Dec,2009
Dec,2010
Dec,2011
Dec,2012
Dec,2013
June,2014
2005
Stamford, Austin map by Pindrop
2010
+ Mountain View
2011
+ New York, London
2012
+ Dublin, Toronto
2013
+ Tokyo, Sydney, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam
Choose co-founders wisely
Keep the Board simple
Don’t focus on advisors
How should you hire people?
Use online services
Interviews
• Multiple employees (focus on good ones!)
• Behavioral interviewing
• Job longevity
• Character (motivation, persistence)
• Attention to detail
• Objective testing
Reference checking
• Don’t delegate it
• Google them
• Talk to them
“In what areas does ___________ need support?”
Find hiring sweet spots
Executive search is a last resort
How should you fire people?
Make the tough calls
How can you make employees happy?
Pay market compensation
Don’t avoid performance reviews
Set quantitative goals
Promote from within
Be careful with stock options
Stock option grant example
• Senior hire
• £200k per year salary
• Option grant equivalent to 0.25x salary
• i.e. £50k in stock options
• £50m is latest valuation of company
• i.e. Grant equivalent to 0.1% of company
• 4 year vesting schedule, 1 year cliff
No more offices than necessary
Harness purpose & passion