We want to talk about our own experience of building our startup . We will try, perhaps, not to present our thoughts in a very structured way about what to do, what should not be done, and about other near-staring joys. Some of the tips may seem trivial, but we have personally encountered all of the following and want to help you not to repeat our mistakes or adopt what we managed to do well.

In general, a startup begins with an idea and a team.

Regarding the idea: you should not spread the thought on the tree - they came up with an idea, thought it out carefully and do it, otherwise it may happen that you will be dragged from side to side and it will be difficult to dwell on something concrete. We have long been deciding what we will do: indor navigation at the plant, a guide for Moscow for foreigners or a guide for a shopping center, and one idea flowed from another, and so on in a circle. Chose a good idea - stop and do it, otherwise you can always wind up "ryushechki", losing the original thread.
The founding team: do not call in a team of people who do not need it, even if you can convince them and they will follow you. Look for people who are ready for hardship and hard work, not chatter. When you share the shares of the "not killed" project, it is not always fair to share equally. Share according to your conscience, but once again - this is not necessarily equal. If you can see that someone is crap, and because of your own fault, get rid of him as soon as possible. Otherwise, then you will have a snowball of mutual complaints and offenses, and it will be even more unpleasant to part.
For those who want to join the startup team: do not be greedy. Do not make a claim to a share before you have done anything. Do something useful, and you will definitely appreciate. One of our colleagues simply began to help us without talking about share. At the right moment, this conversation surfaced by itself, and now it is the third largest shareholder of the company. On the other hand, we often come across people who speak first about the share, and then about what they are ready to do. With such you are not on the way.
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So, the idea came up, the team assembled. Need investment.

Were multiple witnesses to the opposite, but, nevertheless, we write from personal experience: go to the investor with a confident prototype. It is much easier to attract investment by showing something in action, rather than describing the future millions in words.
Do not underestimate the “presentation skill”, the goalkeeper is half the team, “picer” - half of the attracted investor.
We are also annoyed by questions like “What if Google invests $ 100,000,000" in your analog? ”Nevertheless, prepare the answer in advance.
Never say “I don't know” about your startup. Before raising money, you know everything!
Make a business plan for at least a couple of years. Everyone understands that it was written with forks on the water, nevertheless, the vector should be clear to the investor. It is not worthwhile to prove to him that it is pointless to make plans, that everything will change a thousand times. Don't even stutter about it. You will explain this as soon as he invests. A good investor himself knows this very well.
Do not waste time with investors who are unsure of themselves: if you are tied up, spend your time developing a product or talking to a new investor, otherwise you will lose more time. If an investor is interested, the money should be in your pocket for a maximum of 2 months, and all contracts have been signed and all plans discussed.
Look for investors who have enough money for new rounds or who can actually help in attracting these rounds. The bad option is to take, say, $ 100,000 from an investor, knowing that he will not give you more money and will not help.
An investor should be close to you humanly. Do not take money from people that you do not like, even if the money is very necessary.

Well. Our congratulations. You got the investment! It's time to expand (type) the command.

The main rule here is simple: hire professionals. If a student comes to you, albeit with burning eyes, but knowing nothing, do not take it. Hire as much as possible qualified specialists, not paying much attention to the salary. Miser pays twice. Hire as few people as possible. Here, as in programming, complexity grows nonlinearly. For a long time you can not find frames - look for more.
Try to find people smarter than yourself. We understand that some may consider this an impossible task, but still try.
Be vigilant with people who are not out of business at the interview. Even the most charming talker must first of all be well able to do his job.

Good job. Great team you have gathered! Now you need to make them work.

Prepare specifications in advance. Write not only screenshots, but also text with a rather detailed description of the functionality.
Plan on 2 steps ahead. The programmer hired by you receives a lot of money and it’s not at all in your interest to timesheets like “waiting for a task from a manager”.
For lower paid employees, put the process in and follow it. Programmers are your rock stars, look for each approach individually. (I quote myself: "The programmer is above the process" (c) I :)).
An important rule: clearly set the task, performance criteria and deadline. Strictly ask for the result.
Do not write to anyone the necessary documentation. Write the right one. That is, it should be surprising, unnoticed, frighteningly little.

You are doing great, the project is in full swing. But why do they bother?

Dismiss employees who are not satisfied with you as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will pay a bad shot, it will be uncomfortable for you to work, and he will also leave at the most inappropriate moment. If communicating with an employee does not leave the feeling that “something is wrong”, it is most likely better to fire him and find one with whom everything will be “like that.”
Raise your salary yourself, and not when you are asked, make it above the market. Do not wait for you to put a statement on the table. Let's award. Give gifts. He wants to sit at home - let him sit at home. There is no work through the fault of management - let them go home and timeshit 8 hours. It is not necessary that your programmer be initiative. It is imperative that he be responsible, honest and write excellent code.
If the work is not particularly visible and no one checks it, they will not do it. Do not blame your "content managers." Set a task, deadline and ask clearly. As soon as you say: “Fill”, 50% of office traffic will go to Vkontakte, and not only to music from it.
Let the employees take responsibility, let them feel their importance and your trust.
Well, do not lose heart in spite of everything - this is the most important thing.

Very small, but very important note.

Buy fruits, cookies, candy bars and chokopai, and may they always be in common availability. The programmer then does not run to the tent for snacks, but simply stretches his hand and takes them from the next table. It will cost you a penny, and the concentration and concentration of the programmer will save a million.