How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian Founders

Series · 20 partsStart with Part 1 →

Most Indian founders I know underestimate the impact of hiring. You might think your startup’s success hinges on the product or market fit, but it’s really about the people you bring on board. I’ve seen brilliant ideas crumble because of a bad hire, and I’ve watched startups thrive with teams that clicked. This series distills the hard lessons I’ve learned from both sides of the table, what works and what doesn’t. If you’re in the trenches, start with the basics and tackle your hiring strategy head-on. Your company’s future depends on it.

Introduction

1. Before You Begin: Sources, Disclaimers and Further Reading: This chapter explains the sources and intentions behind this guide for Indian founders on hiring top talent.
2. Preface: Why Good Indian Startups Die of Bad Hires: This preface introduces the book ‘How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian Founders’.

The Hard Truth

3. Chapter 1. Hiring Is the Founder’s Real Job: This chapter discusses the critical role of hiring for Indian founders, emphasizing why founders must personally manage early recruitment.
4. Chapter 2. A Players Hire A Players: This chapter discusses the importance of maintaining high talent standards in a company.
5. Chapter 3. What a Bad Hire Really Costs in India: This chapter discusses the true cost of a bad hire for Indian founders, emphasizing the visible and invisible expenses involved.
6. Chapter 4. Mistakes Indian Founders Repeat: This chapter discusses common hiring mistakes made by Indian founders, focusing on ineffective interview styles and biases.

The Method

7. Chapter 5. The Four-Pillar Framework: This chapter introduces the Four-Pillar Framework, a method for hiring top talent effectively.
8. Chapter 6. Pillar One: Write the Scorecard: This chapter explains how to create a scorecard for hiring A Players in your company.
9. Chapter 7. Pillar Two: Source Before You Are Desperate: This chapter discusses the importance of proactive sourcing in hiring A Players for Indian startups.
10. Chapter 8. Pillar Three: Select with Evidence: This chapter from the series ‘How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian Founders’ focuses on selecting the right candidates based on evidence rather than intuition.
11. Chapter 9. References: The Conversation Founders Skip: This chapter explains why Indian founders often skip reference checks and how to conduct them effectively.
12. Chapter 10. Pillar Four: Sell the A Player: This chapter discusses how Indian founders can effectively secure A Players by addressing their unique concerns and pressures.

Beyond Hiring

13. Chapter 11. Firing, and Why You Should Need It Less: This chapter discusses the importance of timely firing decisions for Indian founders and how to minimize the need for them.
14. Chapter 12. Indian Ground Reality: This chapter discusses the unique challenges Indian founders face when hiring top talent, known as A Players.
15. Chapter 13. Indian Stories, Read as Case Studies: This chapter shares case studies from Indian companies like Razorpay, Flipkart, Zerodha, and Freshworks to illustrate effective hiring practices.
16. Chapter 14. A Thirty-Day Installation Plan: This chapter provides a structured thirty-day plan for improving hiring practices in your company.

Resources

17. Chapter 15. Tools You Can Steal: This chapter provides Indian founders with practical tools for hiring top talent, including templates and interview strategies.
18. Chapter 16. A Letter You Can Send Your Co-Founder: This chapter provides a template letter for co-founders to align on hiring practices.
19. Chapter 17. Answers to the Questions Founders Actually Ask: This chapter addresses common questions Indian founders have about hiring top talent, especially for startups.

Conclusion

20. The Company Is the People You Allow In: This chapter emphasizes the importance of careful hiring for Indian founders.