That what matters!

William Sahlman, professor at Harvard Business School, argues that recruiting good people is hard and while an entrepreneur is bound to make mistakes, fixing those mistakes is critical. Sahlman suggests that interviewing is difficult because of the impetus to assume the candidate is the right fit, but entrepreneurs must expend extra effort to assure they have the right person or it can cost the whole company. And in the cases where a mistake is made, entrepreneurs must be ruthless in fixing that mistake quickly.

After fundraising, John Melo, CEO of Amyris Biotechnologies, says that targeting human resources is his second largest priority. But being a smart candidate simply isn't enough, he reports; what's critical is being able to deliver in a group environment. Melo reports that reeling in the smartest and the best in the field is made easier by having an exciting in-house project on which to work.

What does JetBlue think about organizational structure? We thought about how we would hire, train, set expectations and monitor to make sure this was actually happening, says Neeleman. We train employees well, and empower them and compensate them well, he adds.

“Don’t just ride a trend, build a lasting company,” says Jay Kaplan, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity startup Synack. Kaplan also advises aspiring entrepreneurs to hire employees and bring on investors and advisors who will propel a business forward. He emphasizes the importance of pursuing bold ideas, not boring ones, and staying committed: “Be passionate, but patient about the grand vision.”

Recruiting and Resonating Passion Amit Chatterjee, Hara, Inc.