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Newsletter No. 20 | Bold Bets on People (And How to Find the Right Ones)

If you’re leading, taking over or building a family business, you know that ideas alone don’t drive results—execution does. If you’ve ever sat through a family discussion where someone says, “We should expand internationally” without a plan, or “Let’s go digital” without knowing what that actually means, you know exactly what I mean. Ideas are cheap. People are the real currency. And yet, most businesses don’t fail because the idea was bad. They fail because of people problems—bad leadership, unclear roles, teams that spend more time debating strategy based on gut feeling than actually doing the work.

So let me save you some time: You can’t throw money at people and expect them to care. You can’t convince someone to want something more than they actually do. And if you have to push someone to take ownership, they’re not the right person. That’s why I only work with people who are already moving the needle.

One Insight from Me

Here’s a mistake I see all the time: Someone has a great idea, and then they think, "All I need is the right people, and we’re golden!" So they hire, they outsource, they bring in “experts.” And then, shocker—their project still goes absolutely nowhere. Because here’s the truth: You can’t buy commitment. You can’t hire your way out of indifference.


I’ve turned down more projects than I’ve accepted in the past year, not because they weren’t interesting, but because the people running them weren’t all in. If you have to convince someone that what they’re building matters, you’ve already lost.

What I’ve realized is simple: For any of my projects to work, I need a counterparty that actually wants to move the needle. Not kinda. Not "when things settle down."
Right now. And that’s where most successors I work with also go wrong—they waste time looking for "talent" when they should be looking for traction.

How to Find the Right People (Before You Waste Time on the Wrong Ones)

Most people try to find "the best people." I find the people who are already doing the work. Here’s the four-part filter I use when deciding whether someone is worth my time:

1 | Are They Already Building?

If someone says, “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to start something like this,” run.

The right people don’t wait for permission—they’re already testing, tinkering, moving. If someone is sitting around waiting for the “perfect opportunity,” they’re not going to be the ones who grind it out when things get tough. How to spot them:

  • They have side projects, prototypes, or experiments already in motion.
  • They talk about what they’re building, not just what they’re “interested in.”

2 | Do They Actually Want It, Or Do They Just Like the Idea of It?

It’s easy to like the idea of being a founder. It’s hard to live the reality of execution.

The right people don’t just enjoy talking about building things—they need to build. They’re not comfortable unless they’re making progress. How to spot them:

  • They don’t just have ideas—they’ve executed on something, even small.
  • They’re obsessed with the problem, not just the business model.

3 | Do They Take Full Ownership?

There’s nothing worse than working with someone who always needs to be told what to do. If you have to chase someone for updates, they’re not your person. The best people don’t just deliver—they drive. How to spot them:

  • They don’t need a roadmap; they create their own.
  • They ask the right questions instead of waiting for instructions.

4 | Are They Built for the Long Game?

Building something that lasts takes years. The right people don’t look for easy exits—they look for real impact. How to spot them:

  • They’ve stuck with projects longer than a year (instead of hopping from idea to idea).
  • They’re focused on long-term wins, not quick gains.

Side note: My new team members? They didn’t apply for a job that I created. They didn’t wait for a posting. I met them through a university project, and while I did teasee them with the idea of working with me, they were the ones pushing me to make it happen. A little later, during interviews, I further found out they were already running their own ventures—creating custom sweaters for their master’s program. That’s the energy I look for. That’s the kind of people you want in your corner.

One Question for You

If you had to build something from scratch tomorrow, who’s the one person you’d want by your side? And more importantly: Are you surrounding yourself with people who push you to move faster, think bigger, and execute better—or are you spending time convincing people to care?

One Opportunity for Us

Most businesses don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because of people problems.

I’ve spent years filtering for the right ones—the builders, the ones who execute, the ones who don’t wait for permission. And now, I’m putting those principles into a manifesto: How I Work, Who I Work With, and What I Believe In.

It’s not finished. And that’s intentional. Because I don’t build in a vacuum. I want the right people—founders, operators, successors, and action-takers—to challenge, refine, and sharpen this with me.

If you resonate with this, I’d love your input. Drop a comment, poke holes in my thinking, or add your own perspective.

📄 Here’s the draft: [Google Doc link]

I don’t just work with people—I build with them. Let’s shape this together.

 

 

 

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