A different way of approaching our strategy and growth, a different way of looking for solutions, a new dynamic within our startup; we look for that and we believe that incorporating a female co-founder brings all that to the table. Men, we are sorry, we are complete.
When we founded our fintech we were two partners. Today we are three men in charge of moving forward with our dream: to change the way people, companies and startups in Latin America buy and sell dollars. A fourth player should push us to mutate our discussions into more pragmatic and focused conversations to move at another speed.
In addition, we know that you must add a set of skills that we do not have at the moment, a special sensitivity to connect more closely with certain types of customers and help to evolve our human resources component (in 2019 the team that today is five will pass to 10 people at least if everything goes as expected).
So, from my experience in mixed teams I highlight these four abilities of the double X chromosome and that I would like to add to the team:
Different ability to solve problems (of the happy and not so happy).
As I mentioned above, this is the starting point. Adding a woman to our founding team opens up our possibilities both to raise and to solve situations and even crisis (which in the entrepreneurial world are a matter of everyday). It is not about whether it is better or worse, it is about giving the group a different look always. In the same way that a team of entrepreneurs composed only of engineers could have a bias in facing problems and become stronger by adding a psychologist, an economist or a lawyer.
Adaptability, predisposition to change.
I recognize in them a special ability to adapt in positive and negative environments. That is, ability to push forward if the organization is growing, shrinking, pivoting, renewing or even reinventing itself completely. Look at your own companies, startups or families, women are even those who first get used to a new home or office or feel comfortable before a new boss or colleague. In general, I think they have a more flexible “wiring”.
Innate tendency toward the effective management of human resources.
When was the last time you met a human resources manager who was a man? I could not remember just one. And why is this? For me, simply because ladies are better than men to identify how to exploit the talent of their teams, and design growth opportunities for them. The challenges ahead in this department this year will surely need to take advantage of this ability.
Speed to learn
In my first grade classroom, the special group of children who had some kind of special complication was confirmed by three boys and one girl (do not ask me how I remember). Years later they discovered that she had dyslexia. A friend specialized in Change Management in one of the 4 big consultancies in the world told me that she was not surprised by this story, that she saw that same pattern all the time in organizations of all sizes: “they learn faster than they do”, He said. Definitely, in such a changing environment and demanding new skills, my team could benefit from that speed to learn.
We are looking for co-founder, men please refrain.
Also published on Medium.