# #043 - How to avoid mistakes when building a team - lessons from mentoring 1200+ hardware entrepreneurs, with Alan Clayton of SOSV

- Show: [The Hardware Entrepreneur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur)
- Published: 2017-12-06
- Length: 42m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw
- Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thehardwareentrepreneur/043_-_How_to_avoid_mistakes_when_building_a_team_-_lessons_from_mentoring_1200_hardware_entrepreneurs_with_Alan_Clayton_of_SOSV.mp3

## Summary

Alan Clayton, Roaming Mentor at the hardware-focused VC and accelerator SOSV (which runs programs like HAX, IndieBio, and Food-X), explains how to build effective startup teams using the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). He uses Star Trek characters to illustrate the four quadrants of intelligence—Captain Kirk (vision), Spock (analysis), Scotty (execution), and Dr. Bones (empathy)—and advises founders to consciously adopt these perspectives to avoid project delays and improve pitching. Clayton highlights that while technical founders often dominate early teams, a lack of project management talent ('Scotty') is a primary cause of crowdfunding failures.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw#t=0) Introduction and Alan Clayton's Role at SOSV
- [6:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw#t=397) The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) Explained
- [15:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw#t=904) Star Trek Analogy: The Four Quadrants of Intelligence
- [21:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw#t=1297) Team Dynamics and Project Management Challenges in Hardware Startups
- [30:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw#t=1829) Using HBDI to Structure Investor and Customer Pitches
- [34:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw#t=2094) Cultural Differences and Personal Advice for Founders

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- SOSV (company)
- HAX (product)
- IndieBio (product)
- Food-X (product)
- Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (tool)
- Ned Herrmann (other)
- General Electric (company)
- Sean O'Sullivan (other)
- Map Info (company)
- Motorola (company)
- Unilever (company)
- AT&T (company)
- The Creative Brain (other)
- Unconscious Branding (other)
- Man's Search for Meaning (other)
- Victor Frankel (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [106: Building Your Hardware Product Team Early](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-12-15-106-building-your-hardware-product-team-early) (Product Startup)
- [185: Nice Mahogany Table](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-01-25-185-nice-mahogany-table) (Embedded.fm)
- [Tool of the Week Segment | Episode 31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-12-04-tool-of-the-week-segment-episode-31) (Built 2 Scale)
- [42: Blocks of Gold with LCD Displays](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-03-12-42-blocks-of-gold-with-lcd-displays) (Embedded.fm)
- [189: The Power of Your Team in Building Hardware Innovations](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-08-18-189-the-power-of-your-team-in-building-hardware-innovations) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-12-06-043-how-to-avoid-mistakes-when-building-a-team-lessons-from-mentoring-1200-hardw. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Hardware Entrepreneur.