Most founders think the best hires come from their network.

I used to believe this too.

Until I hired 2 people from my inner circle for my one of the business few yearsback.

All two were talented. All two were trusted people…. One friend and another is cousin.

One quit within 6 months. Remaining actively worked against company decisions in team meetings.

The problem wasn’t their skills. It was the relationship dynamic.

When you hire friends and family you inherit baggage. Past conversations. Shared assumptions. An informal power structure that doesn’t translate to business hierarchy.

Meanwhile, the best performers I’ve hired were complete strangers.

No history. No assumptions. Clear expectations from day one.

They showed up to prove themselves, not to collect on friendship equity.

Your network is great for advice and intros. Terrible for building your core team.

The strongest teams are built on merit, not familiarity.

𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗶 | 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 · 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 · 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿

Writing at the intersection of AI, capital, and the future of the human job market – sharing mylife lessons, reflections, and honest takes from the founder-investor’s seat.