The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building an Unstoppable Team

How to build a high performing team without guessing at every hire

Most hiring decisions are made on a feeling after 2 interviews. Most firing decisions are made 6 months after everyone already knew. The cost of both lands on the same person, the founder, and it lands quietly.

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Building an Unstoppable Team replaces the feeling with 3 frameworks. A value equation that scores every person on 3 dimensions, a role alignment test with 3 questions, and a culture fit lens that stops a strong individual from weakening a strong team.

Then it applies them to the 4 decisions that shape a company: who you hire, who you let go, who you promote, and how you keep the standard once the frameworks are in place.

What is inside The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building an Unstoppable Team

Seven chapters, 3 frameworks, 4 decisions.

1. Chapter 1, the value equation: IQ x EQ x IK equals value, and why one weak factor drags the whole product down
2. Chapter 2, GWC, the key to role alignment: does the person get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it
3. Chapter 3, culture fit: building a cohesive team, not a collection of strong individuals
4. Chapter 4, hiring slow: a 5 part process from the success profile to references and trial projects
5. Chapter 5, firing fast: the courage to make hard decisions, and how to do it with clarity and care
6. Chapter 6, promoting from within: developing and retaining top talent with GWC check ins through the change
7. Chapter 7, continuous improvement: embedding the frameworks in reviews and rhythms

Who this free guide is for

If you are looking for team building activities, this is not that guide. Nothing in it happens at an offsite.

If you are still making every hiring and firing call yourself, and you know at least one of them is wrong, this was written for you.

How to use it

Run the value equation and GWC on your current team before you hire anyone new. The gaps it exposes will change the next job description you write.

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Questions people ask before downloading

What is the IQ x EQ x IK value equation?

It scores a person on intellectual ability, emotional intelligence and industry knowledge, multiplied rather than added. A very high score in one cannot rescue a very low score in another, which is why the guide multiplies them.

What does GWC stand for?

Get it, want it, capacity to do it. All 3 have to be true for a person to be in the right seat. The guide uses it for hiring, for promotions and for the recalibration check ins after someone changes role.

Does hiring slow work when you need someone now?

The guide's position is that the 5 step process costs weeks and a wrong hire costs a year. Multiple interview rounds, work samples and thorough references are how you buy the year back.

About the author

Andreas Pettersson is the founder of Leaders ADAPT. He built a company from zero to over 150 people, sold it to Canon and became their youngest standalone CEO. He now coaches founders and executives on leading without being the bottleneck. This guide is free, the download arrives by email within a minute, and you can measure where you stand first with the free leadership assessments.