Part 19 of 20 in How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian Founders← Part 18Part 20 →
This chapter addresses common questions Indian founders have about hiring top talent, especially for startups. It provides practical advice on interviews, assignments, networks, compensation, and the role of HR.
- Shorten the Who interview for candidates with short careers, but do not skip it.
- A Players will agree to long interviews if they understand your seriousness.
- Use take-home assignments wisely and pay for real work.
- Networks should be sources, not filters, for hiring decisions.
- Focus on Fit, Freedom, and equity to attract talent when cash is limited.
Can I use this for my first engineer?
Yes. Shorten the Who interview if the career is two years long, but do not skip it. A two-year career still has a school project, an internship, a first job, and a reason they want to leave it. Outcomes for a first engineer are still outcomes: ship this system, own this uptime, write this documentation another person can use.
What if the candidate refuses a long interview?
Then you have data. A Players who want the seat will give you time if you explain that you are serious and that you will not waste the hours on puzzles. People who want a quick offer often want it because their story does not survive chronology.
What about take-home assignments?
Use them as a focused interview on a page. Pay for time if the work is real. Keep them short. Do not use a twenty-hour assignment as a free consulting project. Score the assignment against the scorecard, not against how much it resembles your own code style.
Should I hire from my IIT or IIM network first?
Use the network as a source, not as a filter. Some of the best operators I know have those degrees. Some of the most expensive mistakes I have watched wore the same hoodie. The scorecard does not care where the person sat in 2014.
How do I hire when I cannot match big-tech cash?
You will not win Fortune on cash alone. You can win Fit, Freedom, and a version of Fortune that includes equity you explain honestly and a city the family can live in. You can also win candidates whom big-tech will not promote for five years. A Players who want to build will take a step down in cash for a step up in ownership. B Players will not. That is a useful filter.
What if my parents think a startup job is unsafe?
They are not entirely wrong. Many startups are unsafe. Your job is to make yours less so: real customers, clean books, a scorecard, a runway you can describe without poetry. Invite them into a conversation about the company as an institution, not as a gamble. Then remember that the candidate’s parents will ask the same questions. Answer those too.
Can HR own this after we are fifty people?
HR can own process, compliance, sourcing machinery, and candidate experience. The founder and the hiring manager still own the scorecard, the Who interview for critical seats, and the final rating. The day you fully delegate who comes in the building is the day the building starts to fill with people you would not have chosen.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the hiring process for my first engineer?
Yes, but shorten the Who interview if the candidate's career is only two years long.
What if a candidate refuses a long interview?
If a candidate refuses, it may indicate they are not fully committed or their story lacks consistency.
How should take-home assignments be used in the hiring process?
Use them as focused interviews, pay for real work, and ensure they are short and relevant.
How can I attract talent if I cannot offer big-tech salaries?
Emphasize Fit, Freedom, equity, and opportunities for growth to attract candidates who value ownership over cash.