How Founders can inspire their teams and what NOT to ask in an interview - Laura Willming - Head of Portfolio talent - Octopus Ventures

One of the biggest issues founders face is finding amazing talent - it’s one thing to have an idea, but to build it you need talented people on your team.

What’s the best way to do it? Where is the best place to go? How has the pandemic changed it? How do you maintain a culture with a new team working in a hybrid format. 

We had the terrific opportunity to speak to someone who thinks about this more than anyone else,  Laura Wilming, Head of Portfolio Talent at Octopus Ventures. 

They are part of the wider Octopus Group who are eight entrepreneurially minded companies who are together focused on investing in the people, ideas and industries that will change the world, they are also a long term backer of this podcast 

Laura’s job is to oversee people and talent for all of the Octopus Ventures portfolio and so is a treasure trove of information about working, hiring and growing within startups: how to prepare for job interviews (whether you are hiring or trying to be hired!). 

We speak about the importance of having a professional network, the skills and jobs to look out for in the future, such as the increase in roles like Chief of Staff in start ups 

Laura spent several years working with start-ups in New York, notably at Harry’s razors, where she helped build the team to several hundred across the world. 

And, whilst still a student, she interned with Brewdog, being one of the first 8 to work there well before it became the globally recognized brand it is today.

I always say each guest is a fascinating episode - todays episode is no exception, but perhaps it is one of our most practical too …

For weekly information on the topics mentioned in the show sign up for the Octopus Ventures newsletter here. 

In this episode we discuss:

• What exactly she does at Octopus Ventures as Head of Portfolio Talent.
• What does Octopus Ventures do?
• What her advice is to startups who have just raised capital. 
• Her hiring advice from when startups become scaleups.
• The most common advice she gives to pre-seed founders 
• When you should hire C-suite level talent. 
• The best methods to hire the best talent. 
• How long founders should spend on hiring. 
• How the pandemic has impacted hiring and creating culture. 
• How can founders inspire their team - and this amazing example.
• What questions you should ask in an interview and how to not fall into bias traps.
• How to speed up your hiring process. 
• Laura's story from Brewdog to Harry's razors. 
• If Laura was 22 in 2022 what would she do?
• Should entrepreneurs hire a chief of staff?
• The best startup job title she was ever seen - Director of Ideas!
• The content 

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