Shane Battier has always been one of my favorite basketball players.  The guy is as reliable as they come, he plays great defense, and he has great basketball IQ.  Needless to say, I really enjoyed this article I found about him this weekend.

Folks I know who are interested in working for startups ask all the time… "how do I get involved?  How do I show that I can do the job when I've been working at large companies all along?"

I think the answer is "Be Shane Battier."

The guy isn't flashy and he isn't someone you intuitively think of as an all-star.  But he makes everyone else on his Team better.  He does his job and he does it as best he can.  He does the little things that go unnoticed, secure in the knowledge that he is doing everything he can to be a Team player.  He has an occasional moment of selfishness as the article mentions, but it doesn't seriously impact his Team's ability to win.

Be Shane Battier for your startup, and you'll do well.  And perhaps next time on the big stage, you'll be Kobe. 😉