Re:Ask HN: How much info should founders share with early st...
by x0x0 on Sunday August 28, 2022 @10:57PM
(#32634335)
Yeah, you really have to understand the audience.
I'd be very hesitant to share partnerships until they're done. Either because people will inappropriately mention them (a junior salesperson running his mouth on a phone call cost a former employer $5m++. no joke. a partnership deal that wasn't inked got rescinded after he told the wrong company and it got back), or more likely, get misset expectations about deals that can still fall through.
That's different than sharing rev numbers, about which I think founders should be very open. I'd share deals when they're inked, along with a lot of repetition about what can and can't be shared externally.
- Avoid generating too much expectation, which can lead to frustration if things don't materialize, and impact team morale.
- Always provide context so the team can better understand how/why events took place and decisions were made.
- Think preemptively, put yourself into your team shoes, and try to address doubts that may arise from your communication upfront.
- Always give space for clearing doubts, and follow up to your staff to assess the impact of your communication. You'd be surprised in how many ways people can react to the same information.
With time, you get to better know your team, build trust, and become more effective communicating with them.