Why Building a Great Team is the Key to an Ideal Workplace

This past December I became the CEO of NextEV USA with a vision to turn mobility into a joyful experience for millions of people around the world. It is a dream job in so many ways. As I embark on this exciting journey, I want to share my thoughts on why building a great team makes up an ideal workplace.

Start with a vision to spark a global movement: think beyond just a product, or a wow experience or even the company

We are building a smart electric vehicle from the ground up – which in itself is a challenge no engineer, including myself can walk away from. Beyond engineering, our “user-first” development approach is the icing on the cake for any designer, writer, developer or scientist. My leadership aspiration though stretches way beyond building a great product or delivering a joyful experience. I am committed to creating a culture that outlasts any technology shift. A culture that is passionate about starting a movement in an industry that has a hundred-year legacy. A movement at global scale, sparked by smart people that work together combining their experiences and diverse sets of domain expertise. NextEV is my ideal workplace!

Make it personal: hiring great talent is the leader’s job, so do your homework. The first few hires are the foundation and culture guardians who must keep the bar high as the business scales

My focus for the first 100 days has been to attract 100 amazing people to NextEV USA. There is so much talent in Silicon Valley and I’ve had the opportunity to meet and have fascinating conversations with many great people. Obviously, I am looking for candidates who have the technical chops and the innate drive to exceed the job expectations they are being hired for. I hand-picked the first 100 people that walked through our doors. Why? Because they will hire the next 1000 people and so on.

Pick passion over years in a job: in my book, tech chops + drive + hunger to learn scores over experience any day

At NextEV USA, we believe the car will be the smartest device people will own. This not only means that we have to be on the cutting edge of technology, but also means we must approach every aspect of the design from a user-first point of view. In the digital age, consumers expect a one click experience to buy, service and upgrade their vehicle. We take this user-first approach very seriously and when I meet candidates I probe to see if they have a similar proclivity. People who are passionate about this approach are a great fit for our culture.

Mix it up: embrace diversity, ensure alignment and be a hands-on and approachable leader

Breakthroughs happen when divergent viewpoints collide. I am quite deliberate about fostering diversity on my team with people from very different industries and backgrounds. My job as CEO is to align and bring the best out of this diaspora of talent. We have sprinters and marathoners that get stuff done! Our team at NextEV USA is multi-domain, multi-generational and multi-cultural. We cherish the fact that we are not all the same.

There is a palpable excitement about reimagining the mobility experience, so none of this feels like work.

We’re revolutionizing the industry, and having fun.

 Join us. #WhereIWork