Friday, October 16, 2009

We have some simple advice that we learned the hard way: as you’re building out your team, don’t underestimate personal references.

In taking ChickRx from idea to reality, we’ve had to find lots of professionals to help us execute. These include web programmers, Web designers, lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, etc. As we found
different professionals in each category, we took our time to speak with them, ask critical questions, see their portfolios and/or client lists, and carefully select the best people for the job.

Despite this care and attention, the partnerships were not always a good fit. Our original Web developer had a talented team with a great looking portfolio, but ultimately was slow and not able to capture the
hip, feminine aesthetic our brand needs. We wasted a lot of time and energy trying to make it work with the wrong person (sounds like something we’ve said before!). When some close friends recommended a
different designer and a different programmer, we ultimately made the switch. Our progress since has been much swifter and we feel like we are in great hands. Rather than micro-managing the Web development
process, we are able to trust the vision and abilities of our team and give feedback as necessary.

So when you’re looking at professionals to work with, choose wisely. And know the value of a friend’s reference.