Many start-ups are formed by friends or former colleagues. That lays the foundations for strong teamwork but it's not enough. You need to hire more like-minded people who will work well together.
The early days in a start-up's life are challenging, which is why start-ups founded on the basis of friendship tend to fare better. Founding a new company with a friend can be the best option as that bond of trust is already established, and trust is a key trait you need from a business partner.
You may have been warned that mixing business and friendship is a bad idea. Far from it. Some of the best-known companies on the planet were started by friends, including Airbnb and Ben & Jerry's, to name but two. As friends, you already know you can be honest with one another and you must share a common mindset.
In the early days, teamwork is critical to overcoming the obstacles you will inevitably face. If the people you employ can see there is strong friendship and teamwork between you and your co-founder, they may take inspiration. Clichéd as it might sound, you should try and make your small team feel like a family. You'll need that close-knit bond if you're to survive the first couple of tricky years.
Start-ups tend to begin as a very small team, sometimes just a handful of people. When you work together in such close proximity and face an uphill battle, teamwork is essential. A sense of close team bonding means people are less likely to leave because they're happy in their jobs.
One word of caution. In order to make this work, you all need to have clearly defined roles and always have a culture of open dialogue. Get that right and you will succeed.
Companies started by friends fare well
Lead by example when it comes to teamwork
A small team needs to be a close team
Clearly define roles
Create a culture of openness
