Starting to build my team

I am at a very curious part of building my business. I started The Pet Wiki for fun. It was just me and my mom plugging away, creating great content and making a fun site to be on. Things grew nicely, and I left my job to do this full time a few months ago. Well things are still growing nicely, and I’ve started my search for the people who will help me turn my site from good to great.

I am a pretty social person. Although it’s been fun working on something I love and something that I believe in, I really like working with people. Being able to share ideas and bounce suggestions off other people really helps build a better product. I have been fortunate enough to build a great team in the Content Department at Answers.com. Now it’s time to replicate that greatness in The Pet Wiki.

What am I looking for? Most people start by searching for specific abilities that people possess. They look for people that look good on paper. They want prospective employees to have this degree or have that many years of experience or program in a certain language. Although all those things are good, paper credentials can only take you so far.

I’m not your traditional manager. In the past, my favorite question that I asked potential employees was “What is your favorite thing to do?” Some would start by saying that they liked working on interfaces or like writing editorial articles. That’s not the kind of stuff that I was really looking for.

I want to know a person’s passions. Whether it’s rock climbing or writing the perfect function, if your eyes don’t light up when you’re talking to me, you’ve got a lot to do to win me over. Once I know that you are passionate about something, I will find the best way to work with those passions. There are so many people that I’ve met that have forgotten what their passions are.

There are a lot of 9-to-5ers out there that are just looking for a paycheck. I understand that, and I respect what they do. It’s a lot harder for them. I was talking recently to a programmer friend of mine that said that he would get out of high tech if he could. He has no passion for his job and has no idea what he really wants out of work (other than the money). I find that sad.

We live in an amazing time. Most of us no longer have to do grueling  work that we try to forget at the end of the day. We are engaged, or at least have the opportunity to be engaged, in what we do.

So far, I’ve started working with a friend who is very engaged in social media and content. I know that I talk a lot about them and that I have very strong opinions about how they should be used, but working with her has been a real eye-opener. We have been able to collaborate on some great ideas that we should be able to push out, together, in the upcoming weeks.

I have also starting looking for a part-time programmer. I have a couple of leads that look promising. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I can find the right person to fit in my fledgling team.

It’s been a great adventure so far, but now the true adventure begins.