Accelerating Engineering Hire for Early-Stage Startup, Securing Future CTO

A fast-growing early-stage startup developed a platform that connects personal chefs with busy families to deliver healthy and delicious meals. The company had recently raised $1 million in pre-seed funding without a technical co-founder and needed to hire a founding engineer to rebuild their platform for scalability. Their tech recruiter sought Keiboarder's help because several qualified candidates were losing interest or were delayed in the interview process due to a non-responsive technical advisor.

The startup faced significant hiring challenges:

• A dozen candidates had lost interest in the founding engineer position due to months of waiting for an interview.  
• The advisor was unresponsive to the founder in facilitating the hiring process.

Keiboarder provided swift and effective support:

• Keiboarder conducted and filtered candidates through technical interviews.  
• Keiboarder advised the founder on the pros and cons of each candidate, assisted in selecting candidates for final interviews, and participated in those interviews.  
• Keiboarder and the founder collaborated to identify the ideal long-term fit for the company.  
• Keiboarder helped to expedite the hiring process, completing it in less than two weeks.

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Keiboarder's involvement led to successful hiring outcomes:

• The startup onboarded their first engineer, who was a strong match for both the company's culture and required skills.  
• Keiboarder identified that the new engineer possessed strong communication and interpersonal skills, making them well-suited for future growth within the company, potentially as a CTO.  

Keiboarder's work directly contributed to key business outcomes:

• Accelerated Hiring: Keiboarder significantly reduced the hiring timeline, enabling the startupto quickly secure a crucial team member. ‍
• Improved Candidate Quality: Keiboarder's technical screening and advisory role ensured that the startup hired a highly qualified engineer with long-term growth potential. ‍
• Stronger Foundation for Growth: By facilitating the hiring of a potential future CTO, Keiboarder helped the startup build a stronger leadership team for future expansion.

This case study offers valuable insights for technology leaders:

• Efficient Hiring is Critical: Delays in hiring can lead to lost opportunities and decreased candidate interest. Streamlining the hiring process is essential, especially for key technical roles. ‍
• Technical Expertise in Hiring: Involving technical experts in the hiring process ensures accurate assessment of candidates' skills and qualifications. ‍
• Look for Long-Term Potential: When hiring early-stage engineers, it's important to consider not only their current skills but also their potential to grow into leadership roles. ‍
• External Support Can Be Invaluable: Engaging external support for technical hiring can expedite the process and improve the quality of hires.

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