How to hire first rockstar employee

You want someone who can hit the ground running, who’s passionate about your mission, and who can survive being locked in with you for 12 hours per day in the same room. That’s a tough challenge.

There are two things wrong with this question:

1. Never use guru, ninja, or rockstar in your job description. It just turns people away from your company.
2. If you expect your first employee to be equal to you in terms of output and responsibilities — then you’re looking for a co-founder or at least on that level. So equity will come into play.

You start your search by describing what you’re looking for. Do you need someone with specific skills or experience that fits into a certain niche? What does their daily routine look like and how can they help grow your business? Write these things down, and reiterate on the description so you get the best possible copy.

If you’re looking to hire a technical co-founder, I have a separate guide for this case, as it’s a bit different.

Next, consider what kind of culture do you have at your startup—is it relaxed or fast-paced? Can you provide a level of stability or are we going to work from a garage at your parents? What are the company’s goals for growth and expansion over time (if applicable)?

Next thing, consider how can you convince candidates why joining a young startup could improve their career in ways they never imagined before. The first impression is the most important one, so you should make sure that your company looks top-notch with a professional website or profile on Linkedin.

When a person is considering joining a startup, they usually have fears. They come from the place of stability and you’re showing them a rocket that has the possibility of blowing up during launch. Here are a few question that you should be prepared to answer when hiring your first employee.

• What does your runway look like? Do you have enough money?
• What is our company’s story?
• What does your target market look like? What size it is?
• How many competitors do you have?

It’s important to paint a full picture of your business, showcasing your financials, company vision, infrastructure, and more.

Hiring the first employee is the same as hiring the one after that — with time you have more credibility and it gets easier to convince people to join you.

📚 More Q&A here