Be a cockroach before you dream of being a unicorn: lessons on the team

In the startup world, people love to talk about the unicorn dream, a company valued at a billion dollars. But after my years working in Japan and more than two years running HOPE directly, I have come to hold a more practical philosophy: before you can become a dragon or a unicorn, you must first be a cockroach.

Why a cockroach? Because it is the most resilient creature there is, surviving the harshest conditions. A startup is the same. Before thinking about glory, the team has to be durable enough to survive and to keep each other going through the hardest stretches.

It began with two

When HOPE was founded, I was not alone. We started with two co-founders. In investment theory, a two-person team is a fairly ideal model, rated around 8 out of 10, like Google or Apple in their early days.

In practice, though, I learned that the number, two or three, matters less than the quality of the bond. For the long haul, I distilled two essential ideas:

• Shared values. This is the root. If people differ in how they see the market, how they manage, or simply how they live, a team can fall apart in the first storm. HOPE has lasted because we look in the same direction: doing business with integrity and serving society.
• Shared benefits. You have to eat before you can pursue ideals. Lasting collaboration rests on fairness, and every contribution must be properly recognized. When benefits are shared transparently, trust grows.

A three-part structure for a "cockroach" company

A company that wants to survive for a long time and grow strongly needs a solid frame. Even starting with two people, we have always worked to complete the pieces of a dream team (a 10 out of 10):

• The product builder: creates the core value.
• The sales and marketing lead: brings in the money that feeds the machine. This is my strength.
• The capital and management lead: keeps cash flow from breaking.

HOPE is now going through a strong transformation thanks to the strategic support of Mr. Hải H Nguyễn (Forbes Under 30 Asia 2017, Founder and Fundraising Coach at BeginGuru). His involvement filled the missing piece of capital thinking and management, so that my team and I can focus on our own expertise.

Why not a crowd

Some ask why not bring in many people. In reality, founding teams of more than three people tend to score about 6 out of 10. There are exceptions such as Alibaba, but in most cases the larger the group, the harder it is to align on a single will.

Closing thought

Investors may enjoy million-dollar plans, but they put money behind teams that can execute and survive. I am proud that the HOPE team has "scars": real experience and no daydreaming.

We chose to be a cockroach company: resilient, durable, earning real money and creating real value. Once the foundation is solid, building a taller house, or becoming a unicorn, is only a matter of time.