hiring is hard , hiring for a start-up is even harder, and trying to do both of these things in a corner of the world that has suffered decades of brain drain is harder still

This sounds so myopic in hindsight that I’m almost embarrassed by it, but, at the outset, I didn’t even have a view on whether or not I should pursue venture investment, and I had no real concept for how I wanted to design a business—at least not beyond its engineering function.

1. Invest in your first impression: part 2.
   
   
   • If you’re doing in-person events, make sure you have an ‘outside person’ with a face that fits.
   
   
   • If you can’t achieve this, lean-in to being different. Polarise the customer base, and get the obstinate old guard out of the way so you don’t waste your time. There is probably no value in conversing with a grouchy

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