In this episode of "20 minutes vc," host Harry Stebbings interviews Rob Sadau, the founder and CEO of Scoop, a startup revolutionizing commutes by facilitating carpooling with coworkers and neighbors. Sadau, who has raised over $37 million from investors like Danny Rhimer at Index and Brooke Porter at G2, discusses his journey from Bain and Company to launching Scoop, driven by his passion to improve daily commutes. He emphasizes the importance of decision-making from first principles and the balance between data-driven and instinctive choices. Sadau also sheds light on the dynamics of working with his brother and co-founder, the significance of aligning team members with the company's mission, and the value of maintaining transparency with board members. Additionally, he predicts a future of shared car ownership and highlights the tight labor market's impact on Scoop's business model.
"But to our episode today and what a founder we have joining us in the hot seat today as I'm very excited to welcome Rob Sadow, founder and CEO at Scoop, the startup that dramatically improves your commute, providing convenient carpools with coworkers and neighbors."
This quote introduces Rob Sadow and his company, Scoop, which focuses on improving commuting experiences.
"So in many ways, it started with just a deep, underlying passion for the experience of the commute."
Rob Sadow discusses his personal connection to the problem Scoop aims to solve, emphasizing the impact of commuting on daily life.
"Did you know that the commute time and commute quality is the second biggest contributor to happiness other than salary?"
Harry Stebbings presents a fact about the importance of commuting to personal happiness, which aligns with Scoop's mission.
"A lot of how I think about decision making actually comes from my time at Bain."
Rob Sadow credits his consulting experience for his structured approach to decision-making.
"I think it depends a lot on the stage of the company honestly, and the type of topic early on... once that shifted and we raised capital and really started to build, speed, became very important."
This quote explains how the balance between heart and head shifts as a company grows and the need for speed becomes more critical.
"I think part of it is trying to make sure that I limit the exact number of decisions that I need to make."
Rob Sadow discusses his strategy for managing his decision-making workload by empowering his teams.
"How do I make sure that our leaders feel empowered to own the areas in which they operate? A source of guidance or input or strategic advice? But ultimately, not all decisions flow up to me."
This quote underscores Sadow's belief in delegating decision-making authority to his team leaders, freeing him to concentrate on the most crucial aspects of the company.
"It's a funny thing that I talk about with my team is, look, you shouldn't assume that every decision I make is going to be right, but for scoop to be successful, I have to be right a whole lot more often than I'm wrong over time for us to do what we need to do."
Sadow conveys to his team that while not every decision will be correct, the overall success requires him to be right more frequently than wrong.
"I try not to reevaluate strategy too often. I think if you're changing strategy every week or two weeks or months, it actually creates whiplash for the team."
This quote highlights Sadow's approach to maintaining strategic stability to prevent team disorientation, while still being open to necessary adjustments.
"For me, that's the greatest privilege in working with my brother. I know that we're aligned in where we're going."
Sadow expresses the deep trust and alignment he has with his brother, which is pivotal in their co-founding relationship.
"Role clarity is not just important for the two of you, or three of you, or however many people it might be as founders. It's critically important for the team."
This quote emphasizes the importance of role clarity not only for founders but also for the entire team to ensure smooth operations and decision-making.
"I think the best way to partner with a board is to treat them as if they are on your side of the table."
Sadow suggests that treating board members as partners, rather than adversaries, leads to a more productive and supportive relationship.
"We think about board meetings as an opportunity to say, look, there are a lot of things that are going well with the company... Here are two or three things that are broken. We need to go focus on a, on b, on c."
This quote explains that board meetings are used to address a few critical issues rather than only celebrating successes, which fosters a problem-solving environment.
"Bringing them inside, I talk to them all the time on different topics. When I have questions, I'll pick up the phone or text them."
Rob Sadow stresses the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with board members to build trust and ensure effective collaboration.
"When it's a board meeting, I generally won't overly direct toward a certain person for feedback... our board meetings are more free flowing conversations."
This quote indicates that Rob Sadow encourages a collaborative environment in board meetings where all members can contribute regardless of their specific expertise.
"Danny... has a lot of history and context... Brooke... is more of a growth stage investor."
Sadow recognizes the unique strengths of individual board members and seeks their insights on relevant issues outside of formal board meetings.
"Trust starts with alignment around vision for the company... making sure that there's common vision on exactly where the company should go."
Rob Sadow believes that trust is built on a shared vision for the company, which is established during the initial investment diligence process.
"Making sure that there is dedicated time for what's wrong, that you put it in as simple terms as possible and how you're going to fix it, and that it's a supportive conversation."
This quote emphasizes the importance of creating a board meeting atmosphere where problems can be addressed constructively and without fear of judgment.
"Betting on ourselves and the team is one of our values... we do not historically try and hire folks that have done something four times or five times or six times before."
Rob Sadow articulates the company's preference for hiring high performers with untapped potential rather than those with repetitive experience.
"Two of our other values are one, being open, honest and direct... and two, something we call give a good push."
These values are designed to encourage a culture of direct feedback and mutual support, enabling employees to grow and take on challenges.
"My favorite interview question is, let's imagine the next chapter of your career is the next five years... what happens or where do you see yourself at the end of that chapter?"
This question is used to gauge whether a candidate's personal career goals align with what the company can offer, ensuring mutual benefit and satisfaction.
"The employment market is incredibly tight... it is so difficult to recruit and retain top talent and there's a scarcity of skilled labor in a whole bunch of different categories."
Rob Sadow acknowledges the competitive nature of the current job market and the challenges it presents for hiring and retention.
"It starts with authenticity and really deep caring about your people... making sure that what people want to do, what they want to accomplish over the next few years, is aligned with what we can deliver."
This quote highlights the company's commitment to aligning employee aspirations with the company's growth, which is key to their retention strategy.
"It takes place in one on ones with their manager. It takes place in skip level, one on ones with the person above them. It takes place in professional development. And we do a review cycle every six months to talk about where are you at? Where do you want to go?"
This quote outlines the structured approach Scoop takes to ensure that employees have regular opportunities for feedback and growth discussions with their managers and higher-level executives.
"We by nature just my brother and I invest really aggressively in this topic and have built a team of people that actually care really deeply about this also because we've been unwilling to hire anybody that doesn't have that same people orientation."
Rob Sadow emphasizes the intentional effort he and his brother make in nurturing a people-oriented culture at Scoop, highlighting their selective hiring process.
"My favorite book is actually the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan... It just gives me this opportunity to escape from daily life and stretch my thinking and just explore other concepts."
This quote reveals Rob Sadow's favorite book and his reasons for enjoying it, demonstrating the importance he places on creative thinking and exploration through reading.
"I think the way that we reflect or the way that we are viewed across the rest of the country... that the everyday person actually really does care about that."
This quote indicates Rob Sadow's awareness of the tech industry's image problem and his desire to change the perception by addressing real concerns.
"I think it will be shared, is probably the most important thing... that's probably a question of decades, more than years, in terms of how long until you actually start to see that flow through the actions and behaviors of everyday people."
Rob Sadow's quote reflects his vision for the future of car ownership, highlighting the eventual move towards shared transportation solutions.
"I believe that great technology companies and kind of like great engineers and great talent can be found anywhere."
The quote conveys Rob Sadow's conviction that talent and successful tech companies are not geographically restricted to Silicon Valley.
"We want to solve more and more of the challenges that enterprises struggle with when it comes to the commute... we can differentiate our employee experience because of it."
Rob Sadow's quote outlines Scoop's future objectives, emphasizing the desire to transform commuting into a strategic advantage for employers.
"You know, astrally, it was agreed that you are unique both in decision making and kind of inspiring a team."
This quote from Harry Stebbings reflects the board's high regard for Rob Sadow's leadership qualities at Scoop.
"Brex founders Henrique and Pedro built a payments business in Brazil, but found themselves rejected for a corporate card when they were in Y combinator." "Terminal is your dedicated partner in quickly building skilled remote engineering teams."
These quotes from Harry Stebbings serve as testimonials for the services provided by Brex and Terminal, highlighting their unique selling points and the problems they solve for startups.
"Since forming the first venture fund in Silicon Valley, Cooley has formed more venture capital funds than any other law firm in the world."
Harry Stebbings provides a historical perspective on Cooley's involvement in the venture capital space, emphasizing its leading role and expertise.