Hipster, Hacker & Hustler, meet Handler

AI-generated with prompt: a robot team of a hipster, hacker, hustler and handler and a lightbulb, watercolor

Great, innovative teams are characterised by their ability to move quickly, iterate fast, and learn even faster. These teams can be found in startups, but they can also exist in larger organisations as multidisciplinary teams. Such teams are often made up of individuals who possess unique skills and expertise that complement each other.

You may have come across the "Hipster, Hacker, and Hustler" profiles to describe a dream team’s composition. However, I'd like to argue that each winning team need one more role: the Handler.

The Hipster

The Hipster is the creative creature on the team. They want to create designs with a flow so smooth and seamless it makes other designers tear up, but the average user just calls it “intuitive”. They have the skills to create beautiful things from first outline to working prototype. Their tools of choice are Figma, Canva and the majority of the Adobe Suite.

The Hacker

The Hacker is the tech-y character who can hack together any tools to make the “how” behind the vision work. They are all over the latest technologies and currently exploring how AI can automate their life even more. Might go a bit overboard with all the technical features that can be added to the product that nobody else really understands.

The Hustler

The Hustler is the entrepreneurial force within the dream team. They know how to package, activate, and sell the solution. They get the product in front of customers and create a buzz around it. In the case a team in a large organisation, they are the one to send to the big meeting and get buy-in from senior management. The combination of skilful wordsmith and charismatic networker accelerates scaling.

Introducing: The Handler

The Handler keeps the team moving forward. If this was a band, the Handler would be the drummer setting the pace. They bring structure, help with focus and making sure the right thing is prioritised at the right time. Their passion for continuous learning makes the team constantly level-up their collaboration.

The power of every team lies in their collaboration and synergy. Each member brings a unique perspective that complements and enhances the others. With their combined powers of a Hipster, Hacker, Hustler and Handler, a team can transform ideas into tangible and marketable solutions at speed, while constantly getting better as a team. By recognising the value of a diverse team composition, organisations can unlock the potential to create impactful and disruptive products that resonate with customers and drive long-term success.

This article was first published on KBI Media.