If you’re a child of the ’80s like me, you’ll be familiar with the concept of the “helicopter parent,” meaning moms and dads who figure that the best way to ensure their kids’ success is to be truly hands-on.
Whether it’s debating a report card with their kids’ second-grade teacher or arguing with the junior-varsity basketball coach about playing time, helicopter parents just can’t let go.
Here I’ll relate that I have a “child” (of sorts) of my own — an online startup called Nestio, which helps landlords market and lease apartments. Over several years, we’ve grown to more than 40 employees. And, as we’ve grown, I’ve discovered a hard truth: It’s incredibly difficult to let go, especially when you’re so invested in your baby’s success.
But I’ve also found that being a “helicopter boss” just doesn’t work, as your company scales. It’s not humanly possible, it’s not healthy and it’s actually counterproductive. While a fast-growing company has millions of priorities, I’ve learned the hard way that my role ultimately boils down to three critical and interrelated functions. By focusing on just these three, and reining in my helicopter tendencies, I’ve discovered that it’s possible to get out of the way and let your startup thrive.
1. Recruit great employees.
You can’t do it all, so find the people who can. Earlier this year, we completed a series A financing round, and have plans to quadruple in size within months. Series A was a breaking point. I realized I couldn’t continue to have my hands in everything. In fact, it was holding us back. This realization didn’t come easily, however. I love sales, for instance.
Yet while I still interact with customers and even close deals from time to time, I’m no longer involved in every sale. I couldn’t afford to lavish time on just one aspect of the business. I had to find the right talent and delegate.
Next lesson? Finding great people is an art in itself. I’ve found that leaning on the people you already trust and tapping their networks is the surest path to success. To that end, we’ve designed a…