According to the statistics, the number of startups has grown exponentially from 2015-18, from 29k, and is estimated to touch 55k by the end of 2020. With more and more people readily giving up on their nine to five sessions in the office, startups are paving their way out. A good idea is no more just an idea; it’s a start to a new life.
I recently came across a graphical representation of the data regarding the top 20 reasons startups fail, based on an analysis of 101 startup post-mortems, and was surprised to find out that 23% fail because of not having the right team. So, it is not just the mind-blowing idea or some funding that you need for a successful start-up, but it is also about hiring the right people for the right positions and creating a good team.
But, what do we mean by a good team? What are their roles exactly? Listed down are 5 important and interesting job roles for startups.
The CEO can also be called 'The Dreamer'
CEO or the Chief executive officer is someone who leads the startup team. I personally think that the person who leads needs to be a bit aloof from what is normal, a bit more passionate than people 'normally' are, a bit more imaginative than 'normal', and a bit more visionary.
To make his team believe in the idea, he needs to believe in it first, no matter how much it fails. Believing in it, looking forward to changing the strategies, and keeping on going even after failures make someone a good leader and thus a good CEO.
The CTO or the strategist
Though knowing how to code is a must, the CTO or Chief Technology Officer is actually the innovator or the strategist in the start-up space. The CTO helps the CEO regarding a lot of aspects, like strategizing, developing and implementing product infrastructure, and thinking about the right tricks to get the best out of the ideas.
Though he can just seem to be in charge of the tech area at the startup, assisting the engineering team, they also have to stand out as innovators using customers' requirements to increase the company's revenue.
The product manager, also the supervisor
From owning the business strategy behind a product to managing the launch of the same, everything that involves the development of a product falls under the responsibility of the product manager.
In the early stages of ideation, the product manager makes sure if there is a market for the product and if it's ready. Keeping the responsibility of development of products aside, a product manager also needs to help the founders with strategizing.
The Chief Marketing Officer or the creative enthusiast
How can you create and maintain the demand for the service you provide, if not by marketing? So, to build and maintain the start-up's customer base and bringing in the revenue the company needs the Chief Marketing Officer. Just an idea, without a marketing strategy, is not enough to run a successful business; so, the CMO's role should never be overlooked.
The Chief Financial Officer or the financial manager
If you consider the Chief Financial Officer's role to be just calculating revenues, the CFO's role, of course, would not seem to be crucial in the early stages. But, the role of a CFO is beyond that. Along with taking care of the finances, they also need to take care of creating financial processes, preparing budgets, partnering strategically, keeping records of the expenditures, and are responsible for the company's profit.
The startup recruiters should look for the right team. That can be reframed as looking for the people with the required skill and a flexible mindset to adapt to working on a small yet interesting team. If you are looking for startup jobs for freshers, you should try out SkillCounty Startup Hiring. This platform helps you showcase your skills and get better with experience.