How Do You Handle Recruiting as a Founder?

That’s a great question. Recently, I was looking for someone to help with my project, so I posted my job description on Upwork and received plenty of applications. I shortlisted seven, purely based on their skills. Then I interviewed all of them, and surprisingly, only one team really impressed me with their experience and knowledge. So, there wasn’t much to choose from. I guess there isn’t a lot of talent there, and you definitely should interview everyone. One of the teams I chose last ended up impressing me during the interview, even though their application didn’t stand out. So, don’t rush - spend as much time as possible finding the right candidate.

Finding great talent is definitely tricky. I usually start by clearly defining the role and ideal candidate, then posting on relevant job boards and my network. Upwork can work but the quality is hit or miss. I also ask for referrals from people I trust. The key is being very selective in the screening process - really dig into their experience, knowledge and communication skills in interviews. And don't settle - keep looking until you find someone truly impressive who will be an asset to your team. It's worth investing the time upfront to get the right person!

I've personally had success recruiting developers on Stack Overflow Jobs. The candidate pool there tends to be high quality since most have proven technical chops on SO. Definitely invest time in crafting an appealing job description that sells your vision and screens for must-have skills. Then be very selective - only move forward with the top 5-10% of applicants who really impress. Hiring mistakes are costly for an early stage startup. But when you find those true rockstars, move fast and sell them on the role before your competition does! Optimize for quality over quantity in the early days.

Yes, recruiting is super challenging as a founder! I've found referrals to be the most effective - ask your network if they know anyone great. Posting on niche job boards that target the specific skills you need can also help find higher quality candidates vs general sites. And agreed, don't rush the interviews - really dig in to assess skills, experience and fit. It's worth investing the time up front to find the right person. I'm a fan of giving candidates a small paid project too, to see their work product before committing. Finding great talent is hard but so critical to get right. Wishing you the best with your search!

Use freelancers for the short term needs. It helps me keep things flexible and test out people before making a full time commitment.

Involves my team in the hiring process. Their input is invaluable since they’ll be working closely with the new hires.