All Playbooks
Hiringintermediate
Hiring Your First Engineer
A founder's playbook for hiring the first technical employee - sourcing, interviewing, scoping the role, and onboarding without burning the candidate.
90 min7 steps
Technologies Used
ProcessInterviewingOnboarding
Implementation
Step by Step Guide
Follow these steps to implement this pattern in your project
1
Define the Role Honestly
Most first engineers wear many hats. Write down what you actually need for the next 12 months.
2
Source Where They Live
Engineers don't sit on job boards. Use referrals, communities, and open-source.
3
Design a Realistic Loop
Skip the LeetCode theatre. Use a paid take-home or a real-codebase exercise.
4
Interview for Systems Thinking
First hires need judgment, not just skills. See the hiring engineers insight.
5
Reference Check Hard
Spend 30 minutes with two former colleagues. It tells you more than three interview rounds.
6
Write a 30/60/90 Plan
Onboard with a real plan, not a vague mandate. Pair them with monitoring and security playbooks for context.
7
Run a Two-Week Check-in
Treat the first month like an extended interview from both sides.
Results
What You'll Achieve
Expected outcomes from implementing this playbook
A first hire who lasts past 12 months
A clear scoping document
Faster onboarding
Better candidate experience
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