A lot of folks seem to have this notion that if they do what they’re “supposed” to do, that’s good enough.

That might be true in a big company, but it’s definitely not true in a
startup. The employees of a startup need to focus on achieving goals,
not simply fulfilling roles.

This is even more true for entrepreneurs. It’s the entrepreneur’s responsibility to get people to do what they need to do.

I’ve heard entrepreneurs complaining about their employees. I call
this the “imperfect tools” syndrome. Much like a hobbyist who insists
that he/she would become more productive and produce better results if
their tools were better, these entrepreneurs decry the imperfections in
their team.

Tough.

You’re the entrepreneur. It’s your responsibility to do whatever is necessary to make the company successful.

It’s hypocritical to reap the lion’s share of credit and financial
rewards in the event of success, but blame failure on others.

Moreover, saying that you did what you were “supposed” to do and that
the lack of results was someone else’s fault is lazy self-victimization.

Engineers blame Sales and Marketing for not selling. Sales
and Marketing blame Engineering for not building a better product.
Everyone blames the founder for not devising a better strategy. Guess
what, folks–no one cares. All that matters is that you fail. And if
you fail, you fail together.

If people don’t get it the first
time, try again. Try saying it differently. Try being more prepared.
Try letting people speak their mind. Try anything, but remember, it’s
your responsibility.