In the bubbling ecosystem of tech startups, where every week sees the birth of a new “ChatGPT killer” or “blockchain revolution”, a fundamental truth sometimes gets lost between fund-raising rounds: success depends more on the team than on the technology itself. While some founders spend their nights optimizing algorithms that nobody needs, the most striking success stories remind us that it’s the strength of the team that really makes the difference. But why is this so crucial?
A serial entrepreneur’s view
As a serial entrepreneur who has founded three startups in the field of Artificial Intelligence, I’ve seen first-hand this fundamental reality: technology is just a tool, it’s the team that makes the difference. Through my various entrepreneurial experiences in AI, I’ve found that the most critical challenges are not technological but human: building complementary teams, aligning values and a shared vision, maintaining motivation in difficult times.
Accompanying dozens of startups as a coach over the past 15 years has confirmed this observation: the failures I observed were rarely due to technological limitations, but rather to faulty team dynamics, communication problems or a lack of cohesion in vision. Believe me, getting a perfectionist data scientist, a developer who codes while listening to metal and a salesman who promises impossible features to work together is more complex than any AI algorithm.
And if you’re still in doubt, ask an investor about the 3 most important assets in a startup: the team, the team and the team.
Technology changes, people endure
Technology is evolving at breakneck speed. What’s innovative today becomes commoditized or obsolete tomorrow. Think of the rise of the smartphone: in the space of a few years, phones with keypads have been replaced by touch screens. In this context, a team’s ability to adapt, pivot and reinvent itself is a startup’s most valuable asset. A close-knit, competent and resilient team can overcome technological obstacles, but the best technology cannot compensate for the weaknesses of a dysfunctional team.
Proof by example
Tech success stories are full of examples where the strength of the team was decisive:
– Airbnb: From cereals to unicorns
When the Airbnb team was selling vintage cereals to survive, they didn’t yet know they’d be revolutionizing tourism. Their first site would have made a design student weep, but their collective determination made the difference. The moral? Your MVP can be ugly, as long as your team is beautiful.
– Stripe: Excellence through people
The Collison brothers have built their success on a simple philosophy: “Hire people who are better than you are”. A refreshing approach in a world where some founders believe their greatest quality is their humility.
– Zoom: Patience pays off
Eric Yuan convinced 40 engineers to follow him on his adventure. They worked for two years without a product. Imagine the daily meetings: “So, where are we with the product that’s going to revolutionize… meetings?” Perseverance pays off.
Why team is more important than technology
1. Innovation comes from diversity
A team with a wide range of profiles brings multiple perspectives, which are essential for true innovation. Technology alone can’t generate the wealth of viewpoints needed to create solutions that are truly adapted to users’ needs.
2. Resilience in the face of challenges
Startups face countless obstacles. Team cohesion enables them to overcome difficult times, pivot quickly when necessary, maintain motivation despite setbacks and learn collectively from mistakes.
3. Sustainable competitive advantage
If a technology can be copied, a high-performance team is unique and inimitable. It constitutes a sustainable competitive advantage that is strengthened over time through accumulated collective experience, optimized processes, corporate culture and knowledge sharing.
How to build and maintain a high-performance team
Building and maintaining a high-performance team is more like cooking with a Michelin-starred chef than programming an AI: it’s a subtle blend of ingredients in which every element counts. Recruitment is the basis – like selecting the best ingredients – but it’s only the beginning. The key lies in the art of “simmering” talent together, by creating an environment that is conducive to its development and conveys meaning.
This means careful onboarding (because you don’t throw a new developer into the code like pasta into boiling water), a strong corporate culture where transparency isn’t just a word in a PowerPoint presentation, and ongoing professional development that goes beyond the traditional “we’ll see next year”. Communication plays the role of binder: regular one-to-ones, constructive feedback, and a clear vision shared by all. Motivation, meanwhile, is not just a matter of installing a table soccer table on the premises, but is based on stimulating objectives, sincere recognition, and fair remuneration – including an equity stake to share in the success.
As with any good recipe, patience is key: a high-performance team is built over time, constantly adjusting, and requires daily attention from leadership. And don’t forget: even the best teams sometimes need to be “seasoned” with new talent or new challenges to maintain their excellence.
Warning signs to watch out for
An excessive focus on technology to the detriment of the team can manifest itself in high turnover, poor communication, lack of commitment, loss of shared vision, tensions and unresolved conflicts. For example, if you notice that team members are no longer participating in meetings or seem disengaged, this may be a sign that the team needs attention or coaching.
Conclusion
In a world where every startup claims to be revolutionizing its sector thanks to AI, the real value of a startup lies in its ability to build and maintain an exceptional team. Founders and managers need to understand that their greatest challenge is not technical, but human. The best investment is made around the coffee machine.
The startups that succeed over the long term are those that manage to create an environment where collective talent flourishes, innovation is born of collaboration, and every member contributes to a common vision that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Technology can open doors, but it’s the team that makes it possible to cross them and move forward. As the history of tech’s greatest success stories shows, it’s extraordinary teams that build extraordinary companies, not just extraordinary technologies.
Tech is copied, the team is unique: that’s the winning strategy for startups!
