"It's a marathon, not a sprint"

The saying "it's a marathon, not a sprint" echoes throughout startup land.

There is a nuance that is often forgotten.

When you start a new company or start a new sector (like I did in autonomous vehicles), there will be people who want to join along the way (along the marathon route). They see you running, they see the momentum and they want to run with you.

So when you interview them, your job 1 is to make them understand just how long (and hilly, and wet, and frustrating) the route is going to be. Like, make them really understand. I used to say that my job 1 in the interview process was to try and convince the candidates not to take the job. Much to the chagrin of my HR team 😀

Make sure people really internalize what you are about to go through together before they join you. That way, they will enjoy the journey more and you all will be more successful.

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