Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Seattle 2.0, and imported to GeekWire as part of our acquisition of Seattle 2.0 and its archival content. For more background, see this post.

By Anthony Stevens

Today’s installment in the Tech Startups 101 series I’ve been writing here on Seattle 2.0 is about people.  Tech people.  We’ll ask the question “Who should your first tech hire be?” and, although there are no hard-and-fast answers, talk about some of the factors that you should think about before recruiting.

So what do we mean by “hire”?  In this post, I also want to include partnerships and serious collaborations, even if that other person is not technically a “hire”.  We’ll include any full-time engagement, whether salary is involved or not.

First, there are any number of factors that I consider to be non-negotiable when making a technical hire, whether it’s your first or one hundredth.  Among them:

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to work independently
  • Adaptable
  • Learns quickly
  • Plays well with others

But, for your startup, there are a few things that have different answers depending on what you need.  Let’s look at them.

Breadth vs. Depth. Do you want to hire a generalist who can wear many different technical hats, or somebody who is an expert in your chosen technology?

The benefit to hiring a generalist is that a startup’s technical needs are large and varied, and a specialist may not have all the skills necessary to do all the things you need.  However, if your startup has developed some secret sauce that only a very specialized person can grok, then maybe that’s what you need.

There’s a trick embedded in this question, in the phrase “chosen technology”.  Startups go through a lot of technologies, and even if you have one predominant technology, it might change and/or become superseded by your needs in other technical areas.

Level of Commitment.  Do you want to hire somebody as a contractor, and pay as you go, or somebody who will commit full-time (and more) to your startup?

If you’re crystal clear about what you need developed, and you have the cash, then you may be successful hiring a contractor.  Remember though, that contractors are never as committed as you are.  New startups tend to run off of enthusiasm as much as cash, and introducing a contractor may impact that dynamic.

I would guess that 90% of the time, if you can find the right person, you should bring someone on board as an employee instead of as a contractor.

Geography.  Do you want to hire somebody who can sit in the same location (office, coffee shop, garage), or could you be successful with somebody working on the other side of the world?

I’ve seen remote collaboration succeed – but I’ve seen it fail a lot more often.  Your new startup needs to find ways to support and encourage that in-person energy, the vibe, the instant communication.  Remote can work in the following scenarios:

  1. You’ve worked with the person before, and know and trust and love them
  2. There is no #2 scenario.  See #1.

A few closing thoughts:

In this day and age, with Agile so embedded that it’s got a backlash movement and Lean in the ascendancy, all the talk is of short cycles, quick iterations, pivoting, and “failing fast”, your startup needs to be fast.  Faster than the competition. Faster than your customers.  Hire people who can get stuff done.  TODAY.  Professional sports has the shopworn saying “You can’t teach speed,” and while I might argue that, I won’t argue that speed – independent of any other factor – is a huge asset to a startup.  Find the person who  can get twelve things done before breakfast.

Don’t hire the developer who can code but can’t talk.  The fact that there are still developers out there who can write code but can’t communicate in anything other than grunts and glares, chafes me.  Your startup has to be agile – intra-day agile, in some cases – and you don’t want the stress of trying to make sure that everyone is on the same page.  The communication needs to be free and flowing and unfettered.

Don’t hire the developer who talks a good game but can’t get anything done.  Yes, this is the converse of the previous scenario.  This is the developer who can talk about everything that could potentially be done, but can’t actually put their head down and write working code.  They whiteboard, they send e-mails, they diagram, they noodle, they Engage In Deep Discussions About The Topic.  But they don’t (or won’t) do the coding.  Avoid these people.

Make your hiring process reflect your passion.  Want to give people the idea that your startup isn’t that important to you?  Hire the first developer that’s referred to you, because he or she “seems like a great person.” Way to go.  You’ve just communicated that the caliber of the people that work at your company isn’t that important.  Look, interview is not a four letter word.  Make the interview thorough.  Make it intense.  Assess technical skill as well as intangibles.  Do everything you can to ensure that there will be a mutually satisfactory fit.  A “bad hire” can be costly, both in money, time, and diverted attention.
Look for complementary skills.  If you’re a technical founder, and are excellent at SQL, don’t hire another SQL person.  The urge is strong – we all like people like ourselves – but you’ll be much better served to find somebody whose strengths and weaknesses complement your own.  But don’t stray too far.  If you’re a non-technical founder who barely understands how the internet works, don’t hire the language-challenged coder who can’t communicate in anything other than ones and zeros.  Strike a balance, but err on the side of diversity and contrast. 

What do you consider to be important considerations for startups looking to find technical talent?  Sound off in the comments!

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