How Do You Convince Someone to Join Your Startup? - Dalton Caldwell

TL;DR

To get cofounders, first employees, or customers, you must first fully convince yourself of your idea’s worth. Genuine obsession and excitement (e.g., being unable to stop thinking about the idea) are essential for perseverance through inevitable setbacks. Since succeeding is roughly equally hard for any startup, you should always choose the idea you are most excited about.

Key insights

• Internal conviction is a prerequisite for convincing others; people can detect if you don’t believe in your own idea.
• The inability to “sleep at night” and an idea that “pervades your thoughts” is a reliable signal that you have a powerful drive.
• Teams that deeply believe in their mission survive setbacks (running out of money, pivoting, team members quitting) that cause uncommitted teams to give up.