The three things every startup board needs and why chemistry matters most
“So I think for a board, you want people who can either add some skill set.”
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And I think then it's down to a mix of things. So I think for a board, you want people who can either add some skill set. So that could be the, you know, how do we build a finance? How do we go for funding? All those kinds of things. And how do we drive the compliance? It could be the operational skills. It could be the network. And in certain businesses, that network piece is super important in the first stages. So I think it's picking off which of those, which of the phases you're at, and then trying to match that up with people you actually like working with because your board don't go away. Right? So and you will have one or two kind of discretionary slots on a board.
About this clip
David Quantrell breaks down the essential criteria for building an effective startup board: skills (finance, funding, compliance), operational expertise, and network connections. He emphasizes matching board composition to your company's current phase while prioritizing people you genuinely enjoy working with, since board relationships are long-term commitments.
Why this clip
Provides a clear, actionable framework for one of the most important but often misunderstood decisions founders make.
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