Most great companies in tech have been built by personal referrals for the first...at least 100 employees and often many more.

Really dig into projects people have worked on and call references; that is another thing that first time founders like to skip.

There are 3 things I look for when I hire people. Are they smart? Do they get things done? Do I want to spend a lot of time around them?

Most startups are not nearly focussed enough. They work hard...maybe, but they don't work hard on the right things.

For most software startups, this translates to keep growing. For hardware startups, it translates to don't let your ship date slip.

If someone is difficult to talk to, if someone cannot communicate clearly, it's a real problem in terms of their likelihood to work out.

What being a founder means, is signing up for this years long grind on execution - and you can't outsource this.