Description

Unique insights from pioneers of Google’s Startup Accelerator on why building teams is harder than building tech—and a proven way to develop a strong, resilient and effective team.

Most startups fail not because of a bad product, poor timing, or mismanaged cash, but because of people problems: conflicts over strategy, decision-making, and team culture. Even the smartest entrepreneurs have been derailed by these soft problems: How do you fire a loyal friend who’s not up to par? How do you motivate your team to give their all? What happens when egos and emotions overpower facts and reason? The soft stuff can be shockingly hard.

Martin Gonzalez and Josh Yellin outline the common traps startup teams fall into, and share their powerful one-day workshop that helps teams escape those traps. The unique process of The Bonfire Moment brings colleagues together for a full day of facing hard truths, noticing hidden dynamics, and gearing up for the intense challenges of startup life. When the constant hustle feels overwhelming, a team’s Bonfire Moment pulls them out of the day-to-day intensity to reflect and reboot.

The Bonfire Moment has proven effective with hundreds of teams of all sizes around the world—from the smallest startups to large organizations—significantly improving their cohesion, focus and effectiveness. Now this book will teach leaders the principles behind The Bonfire Moment and how to run the workshop on their own. It's ideal for anyone who needs to build an extraordinary team to achieve big goals.

About the Author

Martin Gonzalez is the creator of Google’s Effective Founders Project, a global research program that decodes the factors that enable startup founders to succeed. He also works closely with Google’s engineering and research leaders on org design, leadership and culture challenges. Martin is a frequent lecturer at Stanford, Wharton and INSEAD, and has advised leaders across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. He studied organizational psychology and behavioral science at Columbia University and the London School of Economics.

Josh Yellin cofounded Google's first Startup Accelerator and spearheaded its growth, reaching founders in 70 countries. Along with Martin, he cofounded Google’s Effective Founders Project. Josh recently spent four years as the Chief of Staff at Google Brain, and is presently an organizational leader at Google DeepMind. Josh studied biology at the University of Illinois and business at the Wharton School.

Praise For…

“Martin and Josh share the hard, unvarnished reality of building enduring companies: creating the right team culture is hard work but establishes undeniable upside for both the business and the people. The Bonfire Moment is an indispensable guide for anyone trying to beat the odds in growing a new venture, whether in a small startup or a big organization.” — Laszlo Bock, cofounder of Humu and Gretel.ai, former Google SVP of People Operations, and New York Times bestselling author of Work Rules!

“The Bonfire Moment sheds light on these hidden challenges startup teams often grapple with, reminding you that your team’s dynamics can make or break you. Rich in insight and grounded in organizational psychology, this is a must-read for every leader.” — Bill Coughran, partner at Sequoia Capital

“I have worked with Martin on effective organizational structures to best support Google’s research teams. This is a complex area, since there are many different research teams, projects, and desired directions, and designing effective structures that support collaboration without feeling overly stifling is critical to achieving long-term breakthroughs. Martin provided many wise words of advice over the years, and I’m excited that, through this book, Martin and Josh will provide this sort of wisdom to a broader audience.” — Jeff Dean, chief scientist, Google

“Drawing on the rich lessons learnt from Google’s Startup Accelerator Project, The Bonfire Moment sheds light on the people problems that founders sweep under the rug and provides a practical tool kit for startup teams to confront uncomfortable truths and feelings and emerge stronger as a team. In short, a vital playbook for founders.” — Huggy Rao, professor at Stanford University, and author of Scaling Up Excellence and The Friction Project

“As chief of staff at Google Brain, Josh built the right team structures, processes, and leadership forums to enable collaboration and impact at one of the world’s most complex and successful AI innovation environments. These same skills are front and center in his workshop for startups. The Bonfire Moment will be a valuable partner to innovators all over the world.” — Zoubin Ghahramani, vice president of research, Google DeepMind

“The Bonfire Moment will help you confront the paradoxes faced by leaders, capturing many of the lessons I gained during my years of leading product teams. At a time when many leadership guides are riddled with platitudes, this book stands apart, grounded in data and real-world experience.” — Jonathan Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author of How Google Works and Trillion Dollar Coach

“In this concise guide, Gonzalez and Yellin, pioneers at Google for Startups Accelerator, share their crucial insights. You’ll learn how to anticipate and avoid common people problems, as they provide you with actionable gems. An indispensable resource for founders navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.”  — Noam Wasserman, bestselling author of The Founder’s Dilemmas and Life Is a Startup

“While ideas, products, and business models are crucial, The Bonfire Moment presents a strong case that the collaborative spirit and the strength of the team are what determine the success of any early-stage business. Gonzalez and Yellin draw on robust research and their extensive experience in guiding a diverse range of entrepreneurs and business leaders toward success. This book is an essential guide for any leader who values an inclusive approach to building a high-performing team.” — Julia Austin, Harvard Business School senior lecturer and faculty cochair of the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship

“Clear, thoughtful, and abundantly practical, The Bonfire Moment is the missing manual for the hardest part of leading: working with other people. Its guidance on creating the moments that fire up teams is welcome and long needed.” — Jerry Colonna, author of Reunion and CEO of Reboot