Most Important Skills For A Co-Founder At Far Homes
Max, a co-founder at Far Homes, emphasizes that "soft skills are probably...the most important," citing the ability to learn quickly, flexibility, and good judgment as crucial in a fast-paced startup environment. Equally important are hard skills such as finance, including "understanding...the discount cash flow model," spreadsheet proficiency, and SQL, which Max considers "massively valuable" for data analysis and a key to their current role.
Finance, Data Analysis, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Max Blumen
Co-Founder
Far Homes
UC Berkeley
N/A
Spanish & Other Languages
Real Estate, Technology
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Video Highlights
1. Strong analytical skills are crucial, especially in finance. Max emphasizes the importance of understanding concepts like discounted cash flow models and financial planning, and using tools like spreadsheets to model business impact.
2. Proficiency in SQL is highlighted as a valuable skill for data analysis and quick access to insights, contributing to efficient decision-making.
3. Adaptability and soft skills are essential in a dynamic startup environment. Max mentions the need for quick learning, flexibility, and good judgment due to the constantly changing nature of the work and limited resources.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
In my current role, soft skills are the most important. This includes the ability to learn things quickly, especially since there's such a wide variety of tasks in a day. Flexibility is also key, especially in an early-stage startup with a small team where ground truth changes frequently.
Good judgment is another crucial soft skill. Literally any misstep we make eats into our scarce resources. These soft skills are equally important for my current job and for the path that led me here.
On the hard skills side, finance is essential. This involves understanding and learning both the theory and practice of things like discount cash flow models. It's also important to understand how companies plan their budgets on quarterly or annual cycles.
Spreadsheet skills are also vital. I own all of our financial planning, including our operating model. This is a large model that forecasts the entire business, helping us understand how decisions made today impact the company's financial future.
SQL is another valuable hard skill. While AI may change its relevance, my career has relied heavily on the ability to query, analyze, and segment data via SQL. This has been particularly valuable for reaching my current position.
Having the ability to access data without waiting for someone else is massive. I don't think I could function without it today, and I don't think my co-founder could function without me being able to use it.