Hiring a Strong New VP? Let Them Pick Their Right Hand Person

So there’s a mistake I see a lot of founders make again and again, especially when cash is tight. In fact, these days cash is tight for most, even if you’re at $20m, $50m, $100m ARR, since everyone’s trying to get more efficient and profitable.

And the mistake they make is they finally hire a great VP of Sales, Marketing, CS, Product, etc. that they really believe in … and then … they sort of veto or don’t quite believe in their first hire.

Even the very best of VPs, true VPs … need a right hand person. A Director, a VP, a top IC under them that they trust to evacuate. In fact, almost all the best VPs already have this person in mind when they take a new role.

Ask them. Ask them who’d they’d bring with them. You always should. And 99% of the best VPs will always say something like, “I definitely need to bring Paul Donati with me.” Or “Jameson would be my first hire”. Or something like that.

So first, ask. If a VP candidate doesn’t have 1-2 folks they think are great to bring with them — then they aren’t a VP. Don’t make the hire.

And second, bear in mind a high percent of the time I find founders don’t really totally get the “right hand person” hire a VP wants to immediately bring in.

Because they are often different from the core DNA. And the VP sees something a bit non obvious, because they’ve worked together for years. And/or sees a skill they need, that the organization lacks at the moment.

No matter the reason, I find the best VPs really need their Right Hand Person — whomever that is — to truly fly.

So I always give them one hiring card, and really a pass. Go hire whomever you want as your right hand. One pass here.

And after that, be more critical of the other hires. Maybe just not this one. Even if you wouldn’t hire them yourself.

I even as a board member extend this to COO hires. I’d say more than 50% of the COOs that CEOs hire I wouldn’t hire. I don’t see it. Not really. But it’s who they need as their right hand. So I’ve learned to always be supportive of the hire, once they’ve decided.

I know we’re all in “Founder Mode” now. I know we all want to hire the best of the best. But that doesn’t mean not backing your VPs. You gotta let them pick their right hand. And it might not be who you’d pick yourself.