How to build remote or distributed software development team in 2022?

I know this moment all too well. I've been on both sides of this one, and let me say - it's not as scary as you think. If the new hire comes to the table with more to offer than previous hires, then it shouldn't be something you have to "sell". If you think you need to "sell" this new hire to your team and make great strides to prove his/her value to the team, you may not have the hotshot you think you do. If your team is in it for the product, the vision - your vision, then they shouldn't be as concerned with the fact the new hire will be taking on more equity than they have. They should be on board with the idea that if this is THE guy to get things done, that they're that much closer to hitting the goal. If you want to hop on a call and chat through the scenario and not talk about it in a semi-public forum, let's get on a call.

The number one would be shipping product (or anything really) out in front of a customer. If you can't work together to get something done fast, that is usually a huge indicator that somethings wrong. That usually means your values or mission aren't aligned.

You will need to weigh the situation. If it were my company, we have a Core Value of "Truth", and we have an expectation of open communication with each other and with our clients. Therefore, if it was me, by running this through our values it would be a no brainer to tell people not just what was going on with me personally but also the decision to sell the company. The other stuff about it being good for them and they'll make out on the deal - you don't have any control over how they'll feel about it. They may feel cheated, betrayed, or they may feel ecstatic. You can't know, and it's not up to you to decide for them. However, you can give them the information so they can make the choice. Or, if you are a company where communication is lacking, transparency is not a value, and you honestly don't care what they think, then don't bother. (Since you said you're keen to tell them though, I'd go with your gut.)

Your question is very interesting and gives me a feeling you have a real commitment for success because it makes me feel you care for your team. If this question could be fully answered in a couple of lines, you can imagine all managers and executives would lead their teams successfully. The 2 key principles to remember are: 1. Everyone is different: you have to adapt to each individual. It is time consuming but pays off in the long run because everyone has their own learning styles, speed and attitude. Take the time to have 1:1 conversations about them as individuals: likes and dislikes, under what conditions they perform best, how they learn most easily and about their career goals. 2. Create a team spirit. This is the exact opposite of point 1: as much as you recognize everyone as individuals, you have to also build unity and cohesion. There has to be standardized rules of behavior, common values and a shared vision. You have to take time with your team as a whole. This will lead you to create: 1. A personal development plan for each individual in your team, which helps you develop a tailored approach for each person, create reward & recognition systems and monitor people's happiness and performance. This helps you understand your team from a micro-perspective. 2. An organizational development plan for your start-up to give you a more global vision of the talents you need to acquire, retain and grow. This helps you understand your team from a macro-perspective. Team building requires taking time for all the different aspects of bonding: forming, storming, norming, performing, mourning. It's always about balancing two extremes: On one hand you want to take time to work together and alone, to learn & grow, to brainstorm, to create, to plan, to prepare, to research and to measure performance. On the other hand you, you also want to take time away from the office to stop & think, take time to have fun, take time to get to know each other, take time to rest & relax. Do you need any guidance to build individual and organizational development plans that will support growth and team building for your start-up?

I think that it would be important to answer the following questions. * Who comes up with the "thoughtful questions"? And are they new every week? * Who is responsible for the answering of these questions? * What is the pace of the start-up? * Will every team's concerns / progress / roadblocks / setbacks be relevant to management? * How much time should each team spend on developing its response (related to point 2)? * "...help employees feel heard, ..." - How do you plan to measure this? * Is a weekly cadence the right pace? ** Can teams align their "wrap-up" with their natural development cycles (this is more relevant if the company is a technology company)? * Will these wrap-ups be relevant to other teams? Answering these questions can help develop how relevant these emails are both to employees and to management.