Why One of Your First Hires Should Be an Assistant

It feels wrong, but it’s a game-changer for productivity

Society makes spending money on reducing your workload feel self-indulgent and wasteful. Some would even argue that any dollar spent reducing work for the founder is inappropriate, that it’s anathema to the DIY ethos of startup culture. What, you really can’t keep track of your own schedule?

I can, but that’s beside the point because I think this notion is wrong. As your company scales, you need to invest in your own productivity and set up a process to manage your time. An assistant is a key piece of that productivity gain, and I strongly believe it should be one of your first hires.

Traditional assistants help in three key areas: scheduling, blocking and tackling, and preparation. But at a startup, their value can be so much more. Let’s look at each of these areas, how you can maximize an assistant at a startup, and what to look for if you decide to hire one.

Scheduling

This one’s obvious, but it’s a particular value-add for founders. For example, if you’ve had any experience traveling and fundraising, you know how exasperating it is to try to lock down a meeting when everyone around you has a moving schedule (and EAs that move quickly.) But your assistant…