How I came to be a hustler
“When I say hustler, I’m not talking about someone who does shady business or sells illegal products. I’m talking about someone whose ambition and aspirations line up together. Someone who knows what they want and are willing to make short term sacrifices takes to get what they want. Hustlers don’t make excuses when they don’t achieve their goals – they look at the issue square in the eye and accept it as a challenge and an opportunity to improve.”
A great hustler will already be fully engaged in their own personal hustle. A true hustler is probably working on a few of their own passion projects along with a 9-5 while balancing a relationship and a social life. That or they are knee deep in trying to bring a project to life that they are passionate about and trying to make succeed. [ Ross Simmonds]
Hustlers fix things, connect brilliant people and have a passion for pure business development. Hustlers will dive deep into your company, your product and your team in order to translate your excellence into something commercial, something your clients understand and are in real need of.
I love to hustle! Ever since I can remember I have been hustling. I have always been a star in organizing get-together’s with the sole purpose of connecting brilliant people and making shit happen.
5 Mindsets That Differentiate Hustlers From The Rest Of The World
without enough background check, trust me, do it before things get messy and you need to let go of their leash.
You need to immediately identify that you’re looking to find a hustler with the right talents and has a solid understanding of digital that will lead to a conversion driven business plan. You need to stop looking at MBA graduates who are out applying for every job in the job bank and start looking at the people who are out there hustling with or without an MBA. These are the ladies who will put in the late nights doing rather than just thinking about ideas. These are the hustlers who you need on your team if you’re looking to take your business to the next level.
When you recruit a hustler, think about it in the same way you would with someone you would be interested in dating. First you’ll need to go out for beer, grab a coffee and really start to get to know one another. Don’t chuck the job at them without truly getting to know them and recognize that a few drinks will always let you see a few layers deeper than the surface of an onion. From there, if things are looking good, give them a second date ~ possibly throw them a project or two and see if they have what it takes to elevate your business to the next level. That initiative could range from the following:
Develop a Content Plan for a Month
Optimize Existing Content for SEO
Plan & Deliver a Higher Converting Landing Page
Generate Traction through a Unique Story told to the Press
Demonstrate thought leadership through Growth Hacking
Now, it’s not necessary to get them to implement something as seen above but it’s important for them to demonstrate proof in terms of value. Sure, some Hustlers will be fresh out of school and have no previous track record, for these you need to base your decision off of gut instinct and conversations with their friends, professors and colleagues. Now, this approach is great if you know who it is you want to connect with but not so much if you’re in a situation where Hustlers are no where to be found. In those situations I suggest the following:
Network, Network, Network
Hustlers are always on the look out for the next great opportunity. It’s important to use social media to keep your finger on the pulse of the things happening in not only your tech community but also in your local business community. In doing so, you could very well meet the perfect hustler or at least meet someone who can introduce you to one. Be up front and don’t be shy. If you’re a nervous person, don’t sweat t – A good hustler gets people.
Linkedin Works Wonders
Any good Hustler will have a LinkedIn account and use it for gather intelligence on potential leads and business partners. Thus, it makes sense for you to utilize Linkedins search when the hunt for a Non-Technical co-founder starts. You will want to do searches for terms like Strategist, Founder, CMO, COO, Growth Hacker, Business Development, Marketing, etc.. From there, also use Linkedin to spark introductions from people in your existing network. There’s no shame in a status update saying:
“I’m trying to find a Non-Technical Co-Founder who has a passion for business development and marketing ~ Of course a true obsession for [insert your industry or product here] is strongly encouraged but not required. Let me know if you know someone interested or are interested in joining me during these exciting times!”
From there you should get a handful of “likes” and a few shares or actual inquiries. Now the journey begins. Have fun with it but make sure you find the right fit. They always say that Product-Market fit is the most important thing with a start-up but I believe it’s the fit of a team that truly differentiates between the winners and the losers.
