As eyes around the globe follow the World Cup 2026, much of the conversation will focus on star players, match-winning goals and spectacular saves. But games and tournaments aren’t won by individuals alone.

The teams that go furthest bring together complementary strengths, trust one another under pressure, and work towards a shared objective. They understand their roles, communicate effectively, and know how to perform when the stakes are highest.

The same is true in business. For founders building startups in sport, health and med tech, success rarely comes down to a single person with a great idea. It takes a team.

Your first team selection

In the earliest stages of a startup, founders often wear multiple hats; you might be developing the product, speaking to customers, applying for funding, managing finances and building partnerships all at the same time. That’s often necessary in the beginning, but it isn’t sustainable.

As your venture grows – and sometimes before you experience any growth – one of the most important decisions you’ll make is who joins you on the journey.

Many first-time founders assume they need to find people who think like them. In reality, the strongest founding teams are often built around complementary skills rather than similar backgrounds.

A brilliant technical founder may need a commercially minded co-founder who can engage customers and investors. A clinician developing a healthcare innovation may benefit from partnering with someone experienced in business development, regulation or product delivery. Just as a football team cannot consist entirely of strikers, startups need balance.

This was a recurring theme in the recent podcast from Scarborough Group International (SGI) – which is the owner and developer of Steel City Stadium – ‘Pull, Push & Shove‘, featuring Chairman Kevin McCabe, CEO Simon McCabe and former Sheffield United manager Dave Bassett. SGI has long recognised the importance of building high-performing teams. Reflecting on leadership in football and business, the discussion highlighted that success rarely comes from assembling the most talented individuals alone; it comes from creating balanced teams with clear roles, strong standards and a shared objective.

Great managers understand that recruitment decisions often determine long-term success. The same is true for founders.

Talent matters, trust matters more

Whether on the pitch or in the boardroom, you can bring together the most talented collection of individuals available, but if they don’t understand, respect and trust one another, they’re unlikely to achieve success.

Founding a business is an intense experience, often involving setbacks, disagreements, difficult decisions and periods of uncertainty. During those moments, trust, communication and shared values will often determine whether a team succeeds over the long term.

This reflects wider research into high-performing teams. Google’s Project Aristotle study, which analysed more than 180 teams, found that how people worked together mattered more than who was on the team, with psychological safety emerging as the single most important factor in team effectiveness. When people feel able to contribute ideas, challenge assumptions and admit mistakes without fear of embarrassment, teams tend to perform better and innovate more effectively.

When evaluating potential co-founders or early hires, founders should consider cultural fit and working styles alongside technical capability. Ask yourself:

• Can you challenge one another constructively?
• Can you have difficult conversations when necessary?
• Can you maintain alignment when priorities change?

One of the more interesting themes explored in Pull, Push & Shove was the importance of maintaining standards when expectations are high and scrutiny is constant. Whether you’re managing a football club, leading a major development project or building a startup, culture is ultimately shaped by what leaders consistently accept, encourage and reward. High-performing teams are rarely built through occasional moments of brilliance; they are built through everyday habits and behaviours.

Beware the missing positions

Founders naturally focus on the areas they know best. As a result, blind spots can emerge elsewhere.

Technical teams may underestimate the importance of sales and customer discovery. Commercial founders may lack access to clinical expertise or research capability. Innovators developing products for athletes, patients or healthcare providers may not involve end users early enough in the process.

Sticking with our football analogy, the question every founder should ask is:

“If we were a football team, which positions are currently uncovered?”

Identifying those gaps early can help you recruit more effectively, build stronger partnerships and attract investment.

Modern football also offers another important lesson. Elite clubs no longer rely solely on managers and players. Performance analysts, sports scientists, medical teams, recruitment specialists and data experts all contribute to decision-making.

The same principle applies to startups. Success isn’t simply about having a great founder or a great product. It’s about ensuring the right expertise, insights and evidence are informing decisions. Blind spots often emerge when organisations rely too heavily on instinct and not enough on diverse perspectives, data and specialist knowledge.

For founders in health, sport and med tech, this is particularly important. The strongest teams combine commercial understanding with technical expertise, customer insight, research capability and industry knowledge.

Building a team for the long game

The World Cup is not won in a single match. Teams spend years developing players, refining tactics and building cohesion before they step onto the pitch.

Building a startup is no different.

Investors often talk about backing teams rather than ideas because they understand that markets change, products evolve and challenges emerge unexpectedly. Research into venture capital (VC) decision-making supports this view. In a survey of nearly 900 VC investors conducted by researchers from Stanford, Harvard and the University of Chicago, the perceived ability, passion and strength of the management team emerged as the most important investment criterion.

A capable, resilient team can adapt when circumstances change whereas a weak team will struggle, regardless of how promising the original concept may be.

Adaptability was another lesson discussed in Scarborough Group International’s Pull, Push & Shove podcast. In both football and business, circumstances change quickly. Markets shift. Competitors emerge. Injuries happen. Funding environments tighten.

The organisations most likely to succeed are not always those with the best original plan, but those with the strongest ability to learn, adapt and make effective decisions under pressure.

For founders, this means thinking beyond immediate needs and considering:

• Who do you want alongside you as the business grows?
• What skills will become important in twelve months’ time?
• How can you build a culture that attracts and retains talented people and enables them to thrive?

These points may not feel as urgent as product development or fundraising, but they can have a greater impact on long-term success.

Final whistle

Behind every winning team – whether in sport or business – is a carefully balanced group of people with different strengths, united by a common goal and shared values.

For startups in sport, health and med tech, a great idea can open the door, but a great team is what helps you go the distance.

As one of the observations from Pull, Push & Shove neatly summarised: good people follow good managers.

At Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, we’re home to a growing community of founders, researchers, clinicians and industry partners working alongside one another to accelerate innovation in sport, health and wellbeing. From accessing specialist expertise and research collaborations to connecting with potential partners, customers and investors, innovation rarely happens in isolation.

The best teams don’t build success alone. They surround themselves with the right people from the very beginning.