Innovator, strategist, connector, talker, doer, father, husband, but not necessarily in that order.
When evaluating a team member, there are a few key things to evaluate:
1. Does the team member have a complementary goal and ability to take on risk? If you are looking for a big exit, and your partner wants to make a nice living, your interests will not be aligned. Are they going to quit and work full time, like you?
2. Do all your team members have the skills to take the business where it needs to go? What's missing?
3. How connected are you to your suppliers, customers, sources of finance, accrediting bodies or other key relationships? Can your cofounder fill in those gaps?
First of all, focus on the product, rather than the technology. When it comes to product, you need to identify a real customer pain or problem that is being unaddressed. The best source of inspiration are problems that you face for which you cannot find a solution.
To evaluate if this is a real problem, find others who have it. A good place to start for identifying how important a problem is to solve is with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The needs nearer the bottom are generally easier to sell: Thus, Sex, Food and Medicine are easier to sell than lectures on morality.
After you have identified a real problem and solution, it is time to validate whether there is a business you can build around the solution.
Let me know if you want to walk through evaluating your idea.
Yaron is highly intelligent and a rapid learner. He has a remarkable range of skills, being expert in finance / analysis and also in strategy and communications. Best of all, he is a great listener and 100% reliable. I very much hope to have the pleasure of working with Yaron again.
The level of integrity and class that Yaron brings to the table is second to none. Had the pleasure of attending the TREM conference in DC and gained great knowledge due to the work done by Yaron!
Yaron has been able to consistently apply his vast experience to the problem my business is facing today, taking more than a mere passing interest, and investing himself in solutions and analysis that are immediately actionable, setting the groundwork for a sustainable long-term strategy. I continue to work with Yaron, and can heartily recommend him as more than just a suit collecting a pay cheque. He has truly added value to my business.
Yaron is an experienced leader, with a successful track record at building relationships between and amongst disparate groups. In addition, I found that Yaron was able to demonstrate an ability to provide insightful analysis in various fora, including media presentations, conferences, and in more targeted meetings. I wouldn't hesitate to work with Yaron again in the future.
Yaron and I have talked and discussed many issues of materials availability - especially when it comes to some metal and RE materials. He is a knowledgeable and able organizer who has put on a very fine set of meetings. These TREM meetings have done a great job at developing information needed on a very important subject.
Yaron does a terrific job organizing and promoting the TREM conference. I met some very influential people in the strategic materials sector thanks to his efforts.
I worked with Yaron while doing our MBA at London Business School and he is extremely bright, fun, and easy to work with. I would love to work with him again in the future!
Yaron's passion, knowledge and drive vis-a-vis Corporate Social Responsibility was quite evident in our dealings with one another. He was able to leverage generic, world-wide frameworks into very local, very specific recommendations.
