How to hire great people for a new startup company?

Question

I am a mid-level computer engineer and want to establish my own company. I found a new idea and after some researches decided to work on it. So the next step was finding and hiring new people for my startup. But there was a problem. My problem was that my project is a big project and needs some expert developers working on it. But when I post jobs in my country, I find 2 types of people:

1- The expert developers who come for meetings but when they find this is a new company and there are no other member teams, they give up and leave, and the main thing they say is "we prefer to work for a famous company with big teams".

2- Computer students who are seeking internship or workplace experience or a part-time job! They don't know the technologies I want to use and have don't experience using them but they show a passion to learn.

My goal was to hire the people from the first group but after I couldn't do it, I decided to think about the second group. But I think I am in a wrong way and don't know how to find the right way?

Answer 1

Notwithstanding my comment about the proper exchange, you are dealing with a normal problem of 1) prediction of future performance, and 2) how to attract good employees.

The first problem is a huge problem. Predictive indicators that we tend to use are not that predictive. One of them is experience. Experience is one of the most widely used criterion, the one many put a ton of trust in, but is one of the weakest predictors you can use. Worse than tossing a coin (Hunter & Hunter, 1984). So you may not be solving the problem you want to solve by looking at someone with a years and years experience. You get someone who is new or relatively new, you may end up with a higher performer in the long run. There are hyper performers with a short resume. Don't rule them out.

That being written, if you do want someone more senior in the fold, don't offer employment but offer an investment. Make him / her your partner instead. Find an entrepreneur.

I think this is a Joel Spolsky quote: (not an exact quote here) find someone smart who can get things done.

Answer 2

I don't think the work experience of developers is what you should be looking for.

I know plenty of "Expert Developers" who won't be of much help researching and developing new technologies - which is what you are doing, IIUC.

IOW: Almost anybody who has studied and "understood" the concept of programming, can program with the help of Google searches - usually finding answers here on Stack Exchange.

It takes a certain mindset, or gift, or flair to be able to develop new concepts when coding where no person has coded before.

So you want to interview with the aim of finding the "explorers" - those that can think out of the box and come up with original solutions. I'm not convinced that experience is what you need or will even help. One could argue that it will hinder.

Now the trick is how to find these types of people. Possible asking "puzzle" questions and asking them to think out aloud will help you find the right ones.

Answer 3

If you knew every angle of your business, I believe hiring fresh graduates will work out. You just need to supervised them and train them. The best things about hiring young professionals are that, first, they have a minimal rate as a starter, second, they are more hungry and committed than those experienced, stressed people. As a project manager in a lawn worker company, I found this very relevant.