Building a Team & Becoming a Leader

Special Guests

Steve Glaser – Leadership coach and startup advisor with 40+ years of experience in marketing strategy, team building, and corporate transformation.
Keegan Evans – Founder of Euda.io and startup mentor, specializing in early-stage team dynamics and leadership development.

"Trust is built when you respect the skills and contributions of others, even when they’re different from your own. The worst thing you can do is assume someone’s job is easy just because you don’t understand it." - Steve GlaserKey Discussion Topics

1. Why Do Early-Stage Teams Fail?

✔ Misalignment of Goals & Expectations – Founders and team members often have different visions for success.
✔ Lack of Clear Roles & Responsibilities – Without defined responsibilities, conflicts arise over decision-making authority.
✔ Underestimating the Startup Journey – Many first-time founders overestimate short-term success and underestimate the challenges of execution.
✔ Poor Communication & Trust Issues – A lack of transparency leads to unresolved conflicts and team breakdowns.

2. Building a Founding Team That Works

✔ Assessing Your Own Strengths & Gaps – Understanding your leadership style and skill gaps is key to finding complementary co-founders.
✔ The Ideal Team Structure – Most successful startups begin with 2–3 co-founders covering technical, business, and operational leadership.
✔ Finding the Right People – Strategies for expanding your network, attending founder events, and leveraging LinkedIn outreach.
✔ The Power of Inquiry & Feedback – Why asking "Why?" five times can help uncover deeper issues and ensure alignment.

3. Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, & Trust

✔ The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership – How great leaders admit mistakes, foster trust, and encourage team growth.
✔ Avoiding Founder Bias – Keeping an open mind and validating assumptions through real feedback.
✔ Servant Leadership & Supportive Management – Why founders should focus on enabling their teams rather than micromanaging.

Lesson 1: Finding the Right Co-Founder (Beyond Just Skills)

Why Finding the Right Co-Founder is About More Than Skills
Many first-time founders look for a co-founder based solely on complementary skills—like a business person looking for a technical partner. But skillset alone won’t make or break your startup—trust, work ethic, and shared values will.

"The worst partnerships happen when people jump in without understanding each other’s motivations. It’s not just about skills—it’s about trust, vision, and how you handle setbacks together." – Keegan Evans

💡 How to Find the Right Co-Founder:

• Look for shared commitment – Are you both equally invested in the startup’s success?

• Test collaboration early – Work on a small project together before committing to long-term equity splits.

• Align on risk tolerance – Do you both have the same expectations for financial stability and startup growth?

Action Step: Have an honest conversation with a potential co-founder about what they expect from the startup journey—finances, workload, and long-term goals.

Lesson 2: Building a Team Culture That Survives Hard Times

Why Team Culture Determines Whether Startups Thrive or Collapse
Every startup hits moments of crisis—funding runs low, product pivots are needed, or key hires leave. A strong team culture is what keeps a company together when things get tough.

"You can hire the best people in the world, but if they don’t feel ownership, trust, or purpose, they will leave when things get hard. Culture isn’t perks—it’s how you treat each other when no one’s watching." – Steve Glaser

💡 How to Build a Resilient Team Culture:

• Encourage open communication – Team members should feel safe bringing up concerns without fear.

• Recognize contributions – Acknowledge wins (big and small) to keep motivation high.

• Define core values early – Set clear expectations about how decisions are made and how challenges are handled.

Action Step: Identify three core values you want your startup culture to have and discuss them openly with your team.

Lesson 3: The Hidden Cost of Avoiding Difficult Conversations

Why Early-Stage Founders Struggle with Conflict
Startups move fast, and many founders avoid tough conversations because they fear tension or hurting team morale. But ignoring problems doesn’t make them disappear—it causes small misalignments to become major blow-ups later.

💡 How to Handle Difficult Team Conversations Effectively:

• Give direct but respectful feedback – Be clear about expectations without being confrontational.

• Address issues early – Small misalignments grow into resentment if left unresolved.

• Stay solution-focused – Turn conflict into a conversation about next steps, not just past mistakes.

Action Step: If there’s an unresolved issue in your team, schedule a direct but constructive conversation this week to address it.

Actionable Takeaways & Frameworks

Aligning Your Team’s Goals & Values

Ask upfront: What are your goals for this startup? What are you willing to sacrifice?
Define roles with a RACI framework (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).
Set clear expectations about work ethic, responsibilities, and decision-making authority.

Finding & Recruiting Your Co-Founder(s)

Leverage startup communities like university incubators, LinkedIn, and industry networking events.
Attend founder meetups and hackathons to connect with potential co-founders.
Use structured outreach – personalized LinkedIn messages and cold emails work, especially as a student.

Leadership & Team Communication

Use the "Five Whys" technique to uncover the root cause of team challenges.
Develop a culture of transparency – share struggles, celebrate wins, and encourage feedback.
Regularly check for misalignment – revisit goals and expectations every few months.

Founder Challenges: Apply What You’ve Learned!

1. Self-Assessment: Identify your own strengths and weaknesses. What type of co-founder do you need?

2. Outreach Challenge: Find 3 potential co-founders or advisors through an event, LinkedIn, or a mutual connection.

3. Communication Exercise: Have a “Five Whys” conversation with a teammate or mentor to practice uncovering deeper insights.

Next Steps

Follow & Connect with Our Guests:
- Steve Glaser
- Keegan Evans

Key Takeaways from This Module:

• Building a strong founding team starts with alignment, trust, and clear expectations.

• 2–3 co-founders is the ideal team size, balancing technical, business, and operational strengths.

• Great leadership is built on curiosity, vulnerability, and a commitment to growth.

• Expand your network through startup events, LinkedIn outreach, and incubator programs.

• Regularly reassess team alignment to avoid miscommunication and unexpected turnover.

Join us for Module 4, where we dive into early-stage fundraising and startup financial strategies!