Tony E. Kula’s Post

I spoke to 14 startup founders last week—and 90% told me the same thing: hiring is broken. Hiring at a startup is chaos. Here’s what founders shared with me: - They waste weeks chasing unqualified candidates. - They have no idea how to test for “startup mindset.” - They’re drowning in resumes, but none of them are “the one.” This is the reality of hiring in a resource-strapped, fast-moving environment. But here’s what I’ve seen actually work: - Focus on one must-have skill. Everything else can be learned on the job. - Skip the resume pile. Spend 10 minutes reviewing their side projects instead—it’ll tell you more about their passion and initiative than a CV ever could. - Think long-term. The best hires don’t just fill a role—they grow into it. At this stage, hiring isn’t about perfection—it’s about potential. It’s about finding people who will bet on your vision, roll up their sleeves, and build with you. If you’re struggling with hiring, you’re not alone. The chaos is part of the process—but the right approach can make it a little less painful.

5 hiring lessons every founder should hear — from someone who made them. When I launched my first company, I made a lot of mistakes. Hiring was one of the biggest. Don't get me wrong, we made some great hires but there are definitely things I'd do differently. Here are a few of my key lessons: #1 Clarity matters more than speed ⏳ When you’re growing fast, it’s easy to rush into a hire. But rushing creates more problems than it solves. I found when we took time to nail down exactly what we needed, we hired people who could handle the role and actually stay with us. #2 Hire for tomorrow, not just today 📈 Early on, I hired people who fit our current needs. Then six months later, we’d outgrown the role — and sometimes, the person. Now, I look for people who can grow with the business, not just meet today’s challenges. #3 Attitude beats raw skills every time 💪 Give me someone with a “figure it out” mindset any day. People who can think ahead, spot problems before they arise, and actually bring solutions. Skills can be taught, but attitude can’t. #4 Startups need people who can handle a little chaos 🤯 Growth means change, constantly. Those who’ve been through startup life get it. They’re used to figuring things out as they go, without needing a clear road map. #5 Trust your gut, but always check references ☎️ Your instincts matter, but back them up. If an ex-manager says, “I’d hire them again in a heartbeat,” you’ve probably got a solid fit. No one gets hires perfect every time. But when you focus on long-term fit and people who can grow with you, the team becomes stronger, and the journey gets smoother. At Second Talent we source & vet top remote talent for fast growing businesses around the world. Subscription based solutions that make all of these challenges ⤴ a little easier. Second Talent 🔸🔹

Startup Hiring 101: Nobody cares about impressive resumes alone. They care about alignment with your mission and values. When building your startup team, don't just focus on skills and past results. Look for individuals who share your vision and can authentically contribute to your company's story. A team with shared values will navigate challenges more cohesively, adapt to pivots more readily, and present a unified front to customers and investors. Remember, in a startup, culture fit is just as crucial as competence. You're not just filling roles; you're building a tribe of problem-solvers passionate about your mission. How are you ensuring your hiring process screens for value alignment, not just skills?

Startup Hiring 101: Nobody cares about impressive resumes alone. They care about alignment with your mission and values. When building your startup team, don't just focus on skills and past results. Look for individuals who share your vision and can authentically contribute to your company's story. A team with shared values will navigate challenges more cohesively, adapt to pivots more readily, and present a unified front to customers and investors. Remember, in a startup, culture fit is just as crucial as competence. You're not just filling roles; you're building a tribe of problem-solvers passionate about your mission. How are you ensuring your hiring process screens for value alignment, not just skills?

Startup Founders, Directors, VPs, and CTOs - curious as to what the hiring process looks like? This 'General Flow' provides initial guidance on the steps for end-to-end hiring. Notice the two sharks and bridges above them. That's when hiring typically starts to take a bunch of twists and turns and you really need to build a "bridge" to get over that gap. People can be unpredictable. -Other processes going on. Which is their favorite? -Randomly lost interest. Why did that happen? -You moved to slow and they accepted elsewhere. I thought we were the number one choice? This list doesn't end there. The point is, be ready to trudge through the mud as interviews start going off. Things often don't go as planned. Luckily there are ways to mitigate that. There is much more to share about the intricacies of each step and the other "in-between" stuff, but this is a good baseline visual.

Hiring Hacks for early-stage startups Hiring is hard, especially when you're an up-and-coming company with limited visibility. But what do you do when resources are scarce? You get creative, that's what! One hack I've discovered is partnering with companies that specialize in upskilling candidates. They'll provide you with top talent without any cost - a win-win for both sides! And the best part? You get an extra recruiter for free! So, what are some other hiring hacks you've used to scout and hire top candidates? Share your secrets! #EngineeringManagement #hiring #management #leadership

I find myself explaining this concept often. Start-ups often hire talent who are forced into a generalist mindset, even if their role isn’t outlined as such. Specialists can struggle in startup environments but are always essential as a core product requires this knowledge. The trick is to get the right combination of both. Specialists are lauded more than generalists and yet businesses could not function without generalists. I’m a generalist… it’s a painful place to be when you are young and people want to put you in a box. It’s a great place to be later in your career - you need to zoom out all day long! Thank you Pejman Milani - for producing such thought provoking images about business and human behavior. 🔥

This is a great visual for this concept. I am a generalist in the area of IT.

As a project manager, I find solace in being more generalist than specialist. Being able to see the larger scope and then zooming in when necessary is a talent most successful organizations benefit from.