Whether to hire at all, contractor versus employee, defining a role, running a fair process, compensation and equity for employees, offers, and onboarding someone properly.
Lessons
Should you hire at all? — A hire is the biggest recurring commitment a startup makes. Four cheaper options to rule out first. (10 min)
Contractor or employee? — Two legally distinct arrangements with different tax, control and IP consequences. Getting it wrong is a real risk. (12 min)
Defining the role — Write what success looks like in twelve months before you write the job advert. Most bad hires start here. (12 min)
Running a fair hiring process — Same questions, work samples over CVs, and a decision made against the definition rather than against a feeling. (12 min)
Compensation and employee equity — Salary, equity, and how to explain a grant honestly to someone who has never held one. (15 min)
Onboarding someone properly — The first two weeks decide whether a good hire becomes a good employee. Most startups improvise this and lose months. (10 min)