The 3 people you meet in a startup
and if you're solo, they're all you
The Rainmaker
The Conductor
The Expert
I have seen these roles described by different names in several resources. They all are basically similar. In this article I am using Born to Build from Gallup Press, written by Jim Clifton and Dr. Sangeeta Badal. I will draw heavily from this book because it is based on Gallup® research, and I am a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach who works with startup founders.
If you decide buy this book you will find two offerings, one new at a retail price, and one used at a very low price. The new book comes with a code for an assessment that can only be used one time and it is highly likely that the low price used book will not have a valid code. Most of the value in the book is pairing the results of the assessment with the information in the book. You can buy the assessment separately from Gallup® here .
When I refer people to the BP10® assessment in Born to Build, they think this assessment will tell them they can’t be an entrepreneur because they are defective in some way. Nothing could be further from the truth. I start from the premise that we need everyone’s ideas, innovation, and leadership. Born to Build starts with the idea that we all have an urge to build, and helps the reader to understand what role they most uniquely play in the structure we call a startup.
The three roles are based on 10 entrepreneur talents drawn from Gallup® research. Like CliftonStrengths® these talents are unique and innate. These talents depend on skills, knowledge, and experience to be put into useful practice. You can improve skills and knowledge through study and practice, the talents are there for you to build on. “Every builder uses some mix of these 10 talents.”
The Rainmaker® is primarily focused on generating revenue through sales.
…You are boldly self-confident in your capacity to be to be successful, and you rarely miss a money making opportunity.
The Conductor® is primarily focused on operations and management.
…Like a conductor who unified and orchestra to produce beautiful music, you bring order and harmony to the chaos of a young venture. You build an organization by building its people.
The Expert® is primarily focused on product development and research.
…Being the best in your field is crucial for you. You set the bar high for yourself and focus on breakthrough discoveries. …You are part artist and part scientist - and comfortable working at the intersection of both.
I am a Conductor® and my top 4 in order are:
Disruptor®
Delegator®
Knowledge®
Confidence®
My identification as a Conductor® tracks with what I know about myself from my CliftonStrengths® assessments and my MBTI®. I seek harmony and make order from chaos because of my people and relationship focus, and I am full of ideas and know how to funnel those ideas into a workable strategy.
The real magic is in combining the three roles into a team. There are two kinds of teams, an individual contributor team, and a problem solution team. The individual contributor team is found at the edge of an organization and has a single purpose. These are Sales teams, Customer Success teams, Code Writing teams, etc. These teams have similar talent strengths and skills and are an organizational creation. The problem solution team is a combination of complementary talents and skills, focussed on solving a problem. Early in a startup the teams are of this nature, calling on very different talents and skills to be successful. Problem solution teams require a leadership with a keen awareness that the strength of the team is its differences. These differences can collide in the moment, so scheduling a “kiss and makeup” session where team members bring focus back to the success of the whole team is essential.
If you are a solopreneur you must time slice into each of these roles. Understanding these roles may help you organize your time. Your alpha role, whichever one of the three it is, will be where you are most comfortable. There will be one of the role areas that you will hate to do because it will call on talents that are not in your wheelhouse. Knowing what you hate to do will help you find your best co-founder, the person who has what you hate to do as an alpha role. If you remain a solopreneur you must maintain the discipline to do those things you do not like to do, so you can succeed in business.
Note: Gallup®, CliftonStrengths® and each of the BP10® theme names are trademarks of Gallup.
The non-Gallup information you are receiving has not been approved and is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of CliftonStrengths® or BP10® results are solely the beliefs of David Jackson.