Carolynn Duncan is the CEO of Founder Training Center, a regional incubator that has helped companies generate over $20 million in revenue. She discussed the importance of startup teams and different roles within teams, including management, staff, and advisors. She provided examples of ideal team structures and common gaps. Duncan also outlined tactics for effective team communication and management, such as regular meetings, addressing challenges, and maintaining team morale.

1. Startup Team Development
for the Startup America Learning Series

2. Intro: Founder Training Center
• The Founder Training Center helps emerging entrepreneurs and business
owners exceed the $100K and $1MM revenue milestones through
engaging, interactive learning experiences that sharpen business skills.
• Founders at our regional incubator, Portland Ten, have generated over
$20MM in revenues and funding in the past 2-3 years.
• Alumni companies of Founder Training Center’s Marathon and Sprint
programs include ShopIgniter, Night & Day Studios, The Good, Plexus
Engine, Alma Chocolate, Bunk Sandwiches, Taplister, and many more.

3. Intro: Carolynn Duncan
• Carolynn Duncan is an expert in startup management; the CEO of Founder
Training Center and founder of Portland Ten, a regional incubator in the
Northwest whose alumni have generated more than $20MM in revenue
and funding in the prior 2-3 years.
• Prior experience at a venture capital fund (Epic Ventures), entrepreneur
centers (Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center), seed fund (Provo Labs),
speedpitching events (FundingUniverse), micro-incubator (Hundred Dollar
Business), and as a team member of tech startups (TagJungle).
• Carolynn is also the founder of Social Venture Society, a private forum
which explores social venture capital and impact investing, and is in the
process of developing a social venture fund. She also works with at-risk
youth as a Big Sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

4. Today’s Webinar
Startup Team Development
• Why the team is so critical
• Review 3 key roles: management, staff, advisory
• Overview communication & documentation
• Discuss simple tactics for team management

5. It’s All About The Team
“The team is 70% of why a venture
capital deal does, or does not,
happen.”
-Bob Pothier, venture partner at EPIC
Ventures

6. Roles
Advisors
Management
Staff

7. The Ideal Team
Advisory
Management
Employees/Staff/Contract

8. The Ideal Team
Industry Strategy/Experience Money/Rolodex
Product CEO VP Biz DEv
Developers Ops Sales/Mktg
Service Prov.

9. Where Are The Gaps on Your Team?
Industry Strategy/Experience Money/Rolodex
Product CEO VP Biz DEv
Developers Ops Sales/Mktg
Service Prov.

10. Advisors
Experience
Perspective
Accountability
CEO support/advising
Financial accountability
Connections
Funding/Fundraising
Strategic direction

11. Management
C-level, “architect”-talent talent in Exec/Biz Dev,
Product, Sales/Marketing, Ops, Finance
Heavyweight contributors
Management experience, industry connections
Able to build a process from the ground floor,
hire additional employees, make improvements
Founder/Founding employee status
Equity compensation
Co-decision makers, rapport, share control

12. Staff
Employee, “programmer/hacker”-talent in Sales,
Marketing, Product, Operations
Mid-weight contributors
Able to be managed
Some experience, but not expert or highly connected
Able to withstand startup environment, manage risk
Able to follow an already existing process or make small
improvements to an existing one
Employee/contractor status
Cash compensation, standardized schedule/role
Non-decision maker, maintain good employee habits

13. Communication
Weekly team meetings
Check in calls, emails
Staff mailing list
Addressing challenges specifically and without
delay
Don’t keep bad news to yourself, be proactive
and factual in what is happening
Provide team with frequent updates on strategy
as appropriate

14. Some Team Mgmt Tactics
• Clarify roles via verbal conversation & written
documentation
• Identify team needs & meet them consistently
• Establish clear schedules, compensation structure &
pay dates
• Have a regularly scheduled team meeting/update
• Add to the team’s “morale bank” regularly– team
parties, 1-on-1 meetings, perks & fun
• Meet 1/x month or 1/x quarter w/ advisors
• Always take the hit first, and address team issues
privately & specifically when needed

15. Checking In
• Sound familiar?
• How close is your team to meeting this
structure?

16. Recap
Team Management
• Overviewed basic team architecture
• Gauge gaps on your team
• Review some simple team management tactics
• Next steps: construct a simple org chart with
basic roles/resp, compensation, team
management structure

17. Questions?

18. Carolynn Duncan
CEO, Founder Training Center
cduncan@foundertrainingcenter.com
foundertrainingcenter.com
twitter.com/foundertraining
slideshare.net/foundertrainingcenter