Startups live or die based on their ability to attract talent. All other factors that can affect startup success are secondary. This is even more pronounced when you are an early stage startup (read ‘resource constrained to the extreme’) as you have little or no room for bad hiring decisions. Having said that, everyone makes hiring mistakes and it is a process that you hope to get better at with experience. If you are like me and most other entrepreneurs, you would dump conventional wisdom and techniques, and build your own set of hiring rules that are driven by your unique style and situation. Over the years, I have been involved in several startups and here are some of the things I have learned in hiring during early days of the startup (i.e., first 2-5 employees).
Raising capital is one of the most arduous tasks for an entrepreneur. As part of the “Entrepreneurial Journey” series, we are bringing rockstar entrepreneurs from the NYC ecosystem to help you in your fund raising journey. These serial entrepreneurs have raised multiple rounds of funding and know in-and-out of raising startup money. They will share their experience and provide tips on fund raising and avoiding mistakes. More details about panelists and moderator below. There will also be good food and drinks at the event.
Shelly, Totally agree with the value of LinkedIn Groups – they enable users to build ‘credible’ connections, build thought leadership (digital footprint), get leads, etc. I am not so sure about improvements made by LinkedIn in terms of Groups functionality. I still find them extremely difficult to use. There are many issues:
1 – If you are a member of multiple groups, email digests feel like a spam and most people I talk to have turned them off because they simply cannot keep up with them
2 – There is a lot of promotional/spam discussions that puts people off
3 – It is extremely difficult to reach discussions that are relevant to a user – total lack of filters (part of the problem is people who just post random stuff)
4 – There is a bias towards discussions that are active even if they are old (even though there are few active discussions – they get most of the comments) – most other ‘relevant’ discussions go unnoticed
I would love to know your thoughts on these problems and how you are solving them today. Also, what other improvements would you like to see in LinkedIn Groups? Please share..
- JASMEET SAWHNEY
I spend quite a bit of time on LinkedIn and that activity most definitely includes participating in LinkedIn Groups. Paying attention to the discussions that happen in different groups, participating, sharing data and personal experiences helps me do a better job of serving my clients and it also gives me insights into some of the issues my clients and prospects and sometimes even their clients and prospects face on a daily basis. As a result, I regularly meet and interact with a ton of new and interesting people and that’s rarely a bad thing.
Because I find Groups to be such a valuable part of the LinkedIn experience, I thought I’d share 3 reasons that might make you rethink your own use of Groups.
Hi Margie,
Thanks for providing the tips. Totally agree with the value of LinkedIn groups. They help with leads, but also help users build credible connections and thought leadership. But, I think the LinkedIn group experience requires improvement. I would love to know how you tackle some of the issues I face:
1 – If you are a member of multiple groups, email digests feel like a spam and most people I talk to have turned them off because they simply cannot keep up with them
2 – There is a lot of promotional/spam discussions that puts people off
3 – It is extremely difficult to reach discussions that are relevant to a user – total lack of filters (part of the problem is people who just post random stuff)
4 – There is a bias towards discussions that are active even if they are old (even though there are few active discussions – they get most of the comments) – most other ‘relevant’ discussions go unnoticed
Can you please share your thoughts on how you are solving these problems today? Also, what other improvements would you like to see in LinkedIn Groups? Please share..Thanks!
- JASMEET SAWHNEY
Did you know that people who participate or engage in LinkedIn Group discussions get an average of four times as many profile views?
LinkedIn Groups allow you to connect with thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people. Many more than you could connect with via your first-level connections.
Using LinkedIn Groups for Sales Success
There are over two million groups on LinkedIn, with a focus on a variety of topics. These include:
Comment from Jasmeet Sawhney: Great article, Nick. I agree that double-dipping is a big problem. But, do you really believe LinkedIn’s push into content/publishing is only to boost their job-board business? There is a big community element in it for the user, no?
via Ask The Headhunter: Users Sound Off on LinkedIn | The Rundown | PBS NewsHour.
Originally posted by Jasmeet Singh.
9 Ways to Design Brand You – LinkedIn Group Discussion
You are the CEO of your own company – YOU Incorporated. In today’s fast-paced, competitive and interconnected world it is vital to have a unique powerful and personal brand in order to stand out and be memorable in the eyes of others. Think of some…
via 9 Ways to Design Brand You | LinkedIn.