Beautiful Idea
Those of you that have been following me on Twitter know that my new favourite startup is Scoutzie, founded by Kirill Zubovsky. Scoutzie is a curated community for the best mobile designers in the world. The beautiful site does an awesome job showcasing only the best mobile designers for hire.

The Setup
After approaching Kelly Smith for a job at Zapd, the two got to talking about Zubovsky’s passion for starting a business and the rapid growth of mobile applications. Since Smith is already involved with other companies, they decided it would be best for Zubovsky to pursue the opportunity, with Smith as an Advisor/Investor.

The Advantage
Zubovsky has actually worked with several co-founders in the past and prefers Scoutzie’s current setup. While he acknowledges the obvious benefits of having a founding team, he enjoys the advantage of quick decision-making without wasting time on playing the blame game. One of my favourite things about working with startups is the lack of red tape. However, equal voting power across the founding team also impedes agility. Startup teams should learn from Scoutzie’s setup and grant decision-making power to one individual.

Support System
While having Smith as an advisor has been crucial in Scoutzie’s development and launch, living in Seattle has also proven to be extremely helpful. During those tough moments it is great to have support, and the network of startups and mentors provide Zubovsky with encouragement as well as great insight. Having a great community also keeps Zubovsky motivated, as he gets to hear first hand about designers getting hired as a result of their Scoutzie profile.

Future Plans
As for adding on a co-founder, Zubovsky isn’t opposed,

“If I meet somebody who is really passionate about mobile design and has complimentary skills to mine and wants to be a co-founder, working 18-hour days without pay, then I’d gladly consider that person.”

Until then, the focus is on raising money and hiring the dream team to help him better execute. Zubovsky knows it will be hard to delegate tasks he enjoys, such as talking to his customers and shaping the product to better fit their needs and his vision. However, he is looking forward to hiring a second developer he can trust in order to introduce new features more efficiently. A solid plan for growth and profitable business model are essential for success past the launch, and Scoutzie has both.

Join Scouztie as a Scout here or if you’re an awesome mobile designer, tweet “Looking for a @Scoutzie invite <portfolio link> #scoutzieinvites“.

 

 

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