The Bonfire Moment

Unique insights from pioneers of Google’s Startup Accelerator on why building teams is harder than building tech—and a proven way to develop a tight team that’s ready for the intense challenges of startup life.

Most startups fail not because of product failure or financial mismanagement, but because of people problems: internal conflicts over strategy, decision-making, and culture. Even the smartest entrepreneurs have been derailed by these “soft” problems: How do you fire a loyal friend who’s not up to par? How do you motivate your team to give their all? What happens when egos and emotions overpower facts and reason? The “soft” stuff can be shockingly hard.

Martin Gonzalez and Josh Yellin, cofounders of The Effective Founders Project at Google, outline the common traps startup teams fall into, and share their powerful one-day workshop that helps teams escape those traps. The unique process of The Bonfire Moment brings colleagues together for a full day of facing hard truths, noticing hidden dynamics, and gearing up for the intense challenges of startup life. When the constant hustle feels overwhelming, a team’s Bonfire Moment pulls them out of the day-to-day intensity to reflect and reboot.

The Bonfire Moment has proven effective with thousands of teams of all sizes around the world—from the smallest startups to large organizations—significantly improving their cohesion, focus and effectiveness. Now this book will teach leaders the principles behind the Bonfire Moment and how to run the workshop on their own. It’s ideal for anyone who needs a tight, focused, and resilient team to achieve big goals.