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Note: This is Part VI in the Startup Team Building series. Read Part I HERE, Part II HERE, Part III HERE, Part IV HERE and Part V HERE. Two bands, both heralding from Liverpool. Each with a unique look, hip contemporary sound and significant initial success. Why did A Flock of Seagulls crash soon after their initial hit while the Beatles’ career has spanned nearly 40-years, including a number one CD (“Love”) as recently as 2007? This dichotomy is not merely reflective of the groups’ respective musical talents. The Beatles longevity and success was largely the result of their group dynamics, which are identical to those present in successful startups.

Article first published as 10 Reasons To Start A Company In An Economic Downturn on Technorati. There has recently been a common theme among the entrepreneurs I have interviewed and the conferences I have attended: despite the relatively weak state of the world economy, now is a great time to create a high-tech startup. As Guy Kawasaki pointed out in our recent conversation, “…it is cheaper than ever to start a company. People are free or cheap because of the recession. Marketing is free or cheap because of social media. You don’t really buy servers anymore…the tools are all open source. Basically, everything is free. If there was ever a time to start a company, this is it.” Marten Mickos, Founder of MySQL and current CEO of Eucalyptus Systems echoed Guy’s sentiment in this interview by saying, “We who are entrepreneurs say, ‘This is the best time ever to start a company.’ We always say it and I believe it.”

"By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day." Robert Frost, American Poet My entrepreneurial students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, often ask my advice regarding their career choices. However, rather than discussing specific opportunities, I find that I often spend most of my time sharing general tips related to their professional success, irrespective of their particular career paths. Although my advice is geared to recent college graduates, it is also applicable to anyone with a boss, irrespective of their age and experience level.