Check Your Blind Spot - A Pointer to Early-Stage ClimateTech Founders

The leading cause of ClimateTech startup shutdown is founders who fail to recognize their blind spots. It’s a harsh reality that every founder has to face.

As a founder, you have a bit of an ego. How could you not? If you think you’re special enough to do the impossible by building a startup that will not only help save the world but will also become a unicorn one day. You have to be either really crazy or have a bit of an ego. That’s totally okay.

What’s not okay is letting your own reality-distortion field cloud your judgment about hiring.

Today’s post is meant for first-time founders because folks who have been on this rodeo before know the importance of this advice all too well.

Since you want to build a successful company, and you’re doing it for a noble reason, it’s critical to check your blind spot.

A blind spot is an area that you’re not well-versed in. Identifying these can be challenging. The first step is acknowledging you have them. Everyone does. If you think you don’t, I hate to break it to you, but you’re kidding yourself.

How to identify your blind spots.

For starters, go to your mentors, VCs, and others who have been in your shoes. Talk to them about what you’re doing, but seek feedback. If you don’t state you’re open to advice, a lot of people will keep their opinions to themselves. For some reason, it’s become uncouth to offer unsolicited advice these days.

Take special note when they challenge you on something. If they are genuinely interested in your success, you can be sure they are only bringing things up for your benefit. They may not be spot on, but it’s almost certain they are close to the problem area.

Have these conversations frequently with various folks, especially early on in your journey. Take notes. After you’ve conducted a few of these, review the notes. Pay attention to the themes (there is always a theme).

How to fix your blind spots.

Most of your blind spots are fixable via talent (are you surprised I’m talking about talent… again). Talent doesn’t always mean hiring someone full-time. Often, an advisor or even a mentor can be super helpful.

You should also consider your blind spots when fundraising. Some VCs may have specific insights that help in the next stage of growth.

In some cases, you will need to hire someone full-time to take over a particular domain. This can be one of the hardest things to do, especially when it’s something you have handled in the past as a founder. For technical founders, it’s often......

(read the rest of this post on The Climate Talent Playbook Substack -- psst! It's free)

Are you an early-stage ClimateTech founder hiring tough-to-find talent? Feel free to book a call with Silas. We can make sure there is a synergy and take it from there. Book a Call

Silas M?hner is the Founder of ErthTech Talent -- a Recruitment Consultancy offering Absurdly Discounted Headhunting Services for Early-Stage ClimateTech startups.

He is also the creator and co-host of the CleanTechies Podcast, The #1 Podcast for ClimateTech Entreprenuers. Listen on Apple , Spotify , Substack , or YouTube .

In addition to this, he also finds time to maintain a project called Catholic Founders . The #1 Publication For Catholic Founders & Business Owners. It's a publication and podcast on Substack that you can check out if you're interested in the intersection of Catholocism and Business.

Notes:

• Have questions about working with a headhunter? Reach out to Silas today to discuss how he works and what the process looks like. [email protected]
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• For any ClimateTech Founders and Investors, check out the CleanTechies Substack. There you can find over 175+ discussions with ClimateTech Investors and Founders since starting this initiative in Feb of 2021.

Thank you for reading! ?? Let's save the world together! ?? ??