Startups For the Rest of Us

Episode 826 | How to Find, Hire, and Work with Owner-Level Thinkers


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How do you find someone who thinks like an owner, not just a task-doer?

In this episode, Rob digs into a batch of listener questions about task level, project level, and owner level thinkers. He covers how to identify them, what they cost, where to find them, and why building a team of exceptional people creates a virtuous cycle that lifts everyone up.

Topics we cover:
  • (4:13) – Defining task, project, and owner level thinkers
  • (7:32) – Are owner level thinkers born or built?
  • (10:16) – Compensation ranges for owner level thinkers
  • (11:53) – W2 vs. contractor for senior hires
  • (15:53) – Do you actually need owner level thinkers?
  • (17:36) – Where to find project and owner level thinkers
  • (20:16) – How long to integrate them into your company
  • (24:40) – How to identify them in job interviews
  • (29:38) – Why you won't always get hires right
  • Links from the show:
    • Rob Walling's Essays
    • Rob Walling’s Newsletter
    • Rob Walling YouTube
    • The SaaS Playbook
    • Remote First Recruiting 
    • MicroConf
    • TinySeed 
    • SaaS Institute
    • Discretion Capital
    • If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!

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      Startups For the Rest of UsBy Rob Walling

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