Finding Co-Founders off the Beaten Path: Recruiting My Team While Hiking in Colorado.
So there we were... nearly 4.5 miles in and 11,360' up on the Meadow Creek Trail to Eccles Pass. I was gassed. Fun conversation between three guys quickly became a struggle to breath for me and a painful reminder that I’ve been healthier in my life and my home at sea-level in Florida hadn’t prepared me well for this trip. But I wasn’t surprised; if it’s one thing I’m really good at, it’s spontaneously thrusting myself into the super uncomfortable and learning to adapt. Fortunately for me, I had two guys who are half my age waiting patiently for me to ascend with them. Man, I felt old.
The Thousand Yard Stare
A week before, I was on family vacation in Orlando. My wife was playing with the kids in our hotel room. They giggled and wrestled around on the floor. I was mentally absent, staring out over the balcony at the horizon. I was looking for answers, totally stressed out, and unsure of the future of my startup. While my family relaxed and enjoyed each other, I thought about how my last few pitches went tepid after the investors learned we hadn’t yet built the product. “It’s a great idea, but we have to see a product. Message us when you have something built.” I can’t expect to raise money without a product. I need to build it, but how?
I was running out of cash. I’d been at this for three years, and was five months into a major pivot. The previous progress and code were no longer relevant. The developers who worked with me in the past were risk-averse and needed cash I no longer had to build our Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The quotes I’d received from nearshore and offshore development teams were six times the amount I had in my operating account. My credit cards were maxed out, and I’d put my life savings into this company. I was all in, and all out of options. “I’m doomed…” And that’s when it happened. A thought came to mind and snapped me to my feet: “Kyle!,” I exclaimed out loud, earning the attention of my wife in the other room.
The A-HA Moment Had Arrived
I grabbed my phone immediately and texted Kyle, a young developer who helped us out a little last year before the pivot. “Kyle, I have a proposition for you, text me back ASAP.” Kyle kept me waiting. He was flying home to Denver, Colorado from a family vacation himself. I had to wait a whole day before we could chat, which gave me time to think. I would ask Kyle if he would want to come onboard and build our MVP in exchange for stock options in the company; sweat equity.
The next day Kyle and I spoke on the phone. He was immediately excited about the possibility. He’d just finished college and was looking for work. He was admittedly nervous about the scope and magnitude of the ask. I shared in his excitement: “This might be the way,” I thought to myself. “Would you meet me in person if I flew out there next week, Kyle?,” I asked. “Yup,” he replied. And that was that. As soon as I hung up, I reserved a flight with my personal sky miles that I’d earned on a rewards card and booked the hotel with my Hilton Rewards points that I picked up for listening to a time share pitch. This was my hail Mary.
Salvation 1,800 Miles From Home
I met Kyle at a Pho restaurant shortly after arriving in Denver on Tuesday. He was not at all as I had imagined him to be. I’d seen him a handful of times on Zoom in our dev stand-ups the year before. We enjoyed a nice lunch and made small talk to break the ice. But before long, we were knee deep into where the company was and what I needed from him. Kyle stopped me and asked if I would consider letting his friend Cooper join us. He relayed that Cooper was really interested in any opportunity to work with us. I obliged.
Cooper met us out at a bar and we broke the ice again over some strong drinks. Over the next four hours, I would tell my story, sell my vision, and create a scenario in which we would all exit after five to six years of hard work. “I’m asking you to give me the remainder of your 20’s, and in return, I will provide you the opportunity to never have to work again — potentially.” They were hooked. I could see it. What caught me right away is that neither one seemed motivated by the promise of wealth. Instead, their eyes lit up when I told them what I wanted to build. I could tell they wanted nothing more than to build it with me. These were the guys to do it. We were going to make this happen. I could feel it.
Let’s Climb a Mountain Together- Literally
What better way to supercharge a new relationship and conduct an interview than to go hiking in the mountains? The next morning we met well before the sun came up to drive out to the hiking trail together. The area out there was gorgeous and inviting. It was going to be a great day, and it was indeed.
Over the next several hours, we would talk about our lives, our goals, and tell stories about when things didn’t work out like we’d planned. On the hike, we spoke very little about the company or the details of the job. I’d realize that Kyle, Cooper, and I were all alike in many ways. But their personalities really came out as we put the miles behind us. I started to see where their archetypes deviated from mine, and I created a sort of personality Venn diagram in my head. I listened for red flags as the boys spoke. There wasn’t anything alarming enough for me to worry.
To be fair, this was a two-way interview process. I’m a genuinely transparent guy as it is, but I let any guard down so they could evaluate me as well. I did disclose everything that could go wrong, and relayed the level of risk that they were taking with me. I wanted to give them a chance to ask questions and probe for anything that didn’t feel right. By the time we’d wrapped up, we were already individually settled on the thought that we’d soon be working together full time.
On our descent, we ran into a nice couple, Ann and John, who were on their way up. Cooper was wearing a Colorado State hat that provoked some small talk and led to the couple asking about the nature of our hike. They were surprised to learn that this was, in fact, an interview process, and that I was a startup founder in search of potential co-founders. Ann and John asked for the company’s information so they could consider an investment. Serendipity has a way of happening wherever, whenever. I do believe everything happens for a reason. If anything, it helps me find resolve when things don’t go as I’d hoped.
The End of my Trip and the Beginning of our Journey
I thanked Cooper and Kyle for their time and told them that I would need to take a few days to give a potential offer the thought that it deserved. After all, this was a big deal for all of us. Both guys told me that by flying out to meet them, I sealed the deal for them and that they wanted to work with me. Two days later, I would make an offer and the boys would quickly accept. We entered our first development sprint the following week.
We are currently in the process of building paypixl’s MVP and things are going really well. I‘d like to say I chose two junior full-stack developers to build with me because they possessed the desire to learn and would own their roles. They’re young and brilliant, and have the neuroplasticity to learn and develop new syntax, methods, and systems quickly. But to be honest, I am just lucky that I found two guys who were at a place in their lives where they were both willing and capable to accept the risk to build something amazing with me.
Here’s to working incredibly hard as a team to earn the next several stages of growth for our company.
