Traditional skills, experienced people and product pros are key to startup growth: StartupAus

Stephanie Palmer-Derrien - SmartCompany - 26 July 2018

Australian startups need to hire experienced developers and product experts, and invest in traditional roles like sales and marketing, if they want to scale, but that’s easier said than done according to a Startup Talent Gap report from StartupAus.

The report, released today, is based on LinkedIn data about the kinds of roles going at Australian startups, combined with in-depth interviews and anecdotal evidence from founders of startups in scaling up phase.

In the conversations with the founders, a recurring theme emerged around demand for ‘product’ personnel.

When founders were asked which role, aside from chief executive, is the most important for achieving growth, product people were high on the list. But they were also named as a difficult role to hire for both in the past and right now, and it’s anticipated this will continue into the next five years.

The report notes “product is the most pressing concern for scaleups across the board”.

Speaking to StartupSmart, StartupAus chief Alex McCauley explains these ‘product’ people sit in between other departments, coordinating with engineers, communicating with customers, and working with management. Read more