Mixing and Matching to Build Teams

"Hi, would you like to become a team member at Startup Nations Summit Policy Hack?" - "What does it mean?!".

In many cases, that was the initial reaction when we asked if policymakers, investors, startups etc. would like to take part in the Policy Hack.

The Policy Hack - subject of this 10+ story blog series (previous entries here: 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10) - journey is now coming to an end. Before I describe the final event itself, I'll explain how Policy Hack teams took shape. At the hack itself, it is all about teamwork. Let's cover the basics of putting together a policy hack team!

Team building is an exercise of "guided democracy".

At a regular hack, people choose their own teams, bringing either industry practice, design, management or programming skills to the team. At a regular hack, too, organisers may want to make sure that there is a good mix within each team. If you're hacking new apps, no team can do without a programmer (or a designer). But a team of only programmers is of no use if you also have to provide a business model and good design.

Which is why hack organisers usually have some house rules to make sure there is some balance. So that's kind of "guided democracy" already, but even more so for policy hacks.

For policy hacks, too, you need different roles to be present at each team to have real impact. If you want to discuss how to get more investors interested in an ecosystem, you'd better make sure that policymakers discuss that together with at least one investor from another region, better if two. If a policymaker wants to advance a fintech law, peer policymakers from a different fintech center are needed, but also at least one fintech startup. If your policy is about building access-to-market channels to another region, it's best if you get that other region to play along from day one. Our rule of thumb was that every team should have:

• up to 2 people from the ecosystem where it will be later implemented;
• up to 2 policy peers with background in comparable ideas;
• one investor, one startup, one ecosystem stakeholder.

Altogether, no team could have more than 6 members, because if the team gets too big, it tends to break into subgroups, which is not ok for such an intensive exercise.

Sounds easy? Think again. Every team at SNS Policy Hack was a challenge to build, because the situation was so specific for each one of them. No team was the same. Their starting positions were from a very novel idea to a renewal of a working concept, from the practicalities of a new law to the design of a specific toolbox. Every one so different, yet so similar given the task of taking one guided step forward via our SN Policy Hack format.

Here again I must stress the magic of Global Entrepreneurship Network in making those connections happen. For them, a suitable candidate is always a call or a couple of phonecalls away. That is very useful in team building!

The teams needed to be assembled weeks in advance of the hack itself

I've stressed many times over, but I'll do it again. Hacking policies is a much different game than hacking for startups. The innovation cycle is in the public sector is long. Any idea owner needs some time to build momentum and plan for post-hack activities which help make policies stick. Typically, policy conference participants will not plan weeks or even months ahead what their impact should look like. There are some habits to be broken, a safe space for discussions had to be built.

So we set out to break those habits. Together with Dell and GEN, we designed a master file where the team for every idea was formed. Over a period of about 2 months, we went through that file weekly, building the teams one-by-one. Quite often that involved in unlocking new layers of the networks each one of us brought to the game. In a few instances, the pre-SNS World Tour participants provided valuable insights to suitable team members, or became participants themselves.

The discussions between organisers looked something like that:

I

"The team looking to build an answer to the GDPR really needs an investor to look at it. What do you think of calling in ..." - "Well, I don't know, ... is a better fit for the team working on public procurement." - "Yes, he is, and he might be too dominant, no?" - "Well, every team leader needs to keep their team at bay, that's what we need to teach them beforehand!" - "All right then, ... it is!"

II

"Hi guys, I lost the interest of a startup for the team that wants to renew their investor policy" - "What?! Why so?" - "I guess they did not get the Policy Hack concept and want to focus on keeping themselves alive" - "Oh, wow. What about asking from our network, I know a couple of options. Consider Mrs ..., she is really straightforward and passionate, she would love to come to Tallinn!"

III

"Hi, just heard the funniest comment on the hack from a policymaker we have been chasing. Basicly she was stunned that we would actually ask startups first and only then change the regulation." - "Ha-haa! Did you get her on the team though?" - "Yes, she was surprised, but in a good way, she is now looking for tickets to Tallinn" - "Great! I think I know someone for that team from the local community that would take her curiosity even further".

There were numerous dialogues like that during the weeks prior to SNS. Hundreds of them, actually. There were about 60 positions to be filled and most of them were hand-picked. In the end, most of the teams got at least 5 participants, with a few left to those arriving on the day.

Given the overall hands-on focus of the SNS programme, we were sure that in Tallinn the rest of the slots would be filled easily. But the hack day itself is a story for next week. The main course will be served soon! Check back soon!

PS. In the meantime, you may want to follow the news about another Startup Nations Policy Hack, under way in South Africa in just a couple of days from now:

I wish the best of luck and lots of energy for the teams gathering at 22ONSLOANE in Johannesburg this week. By following the Startup Nations Policy Hack Guidebook, I am confident you will have an awesome day and a bunch of nicely designed policies by the end of the exercise! I hope I can meet the winners and other participants at future policy events!