The Fatal Hiring Mistake
Every failed early-stage startup I’ve seen made this same hiring mistake.
They hired for top tier limited skillsets instead of speed and resilience.
Table of Contents
What They Need
Early-stage startups need athletes, not specialists.
The person who “scales marketing” at Google will probably crash and burn at your 8-person company.
Scaling requires systems. Startups require scrappiness.
Athletes First
Your first 10 hires should be able to:
- Write code AND talk to customers
- Design products AND run omnichannel ads
- Close deals AND manage operations
Generalists can adapt to chaos while specialists need structure.
Why Speed Wins
When you’re operating with limited runway, versatility becomes your competitive advantage.
A specialist might excel in their narrow domain, but they’ll struggle when the company pivots or priorities shift overnight.
The hard-chargers who can wear multiple hats are the ones who’ll help you navigate the uncertainty of early-stage growth.
Conclusion
If you have 18 months of runway or less, hire the hard-chargers for now.
Specialists can come later when you have the luxury of defined roles and established processes.
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