Your startup is like a baby - here's what that means for hiring

Hey founders, Just watched another early-stage founder hire a FAANG veteran with a huge salary + equity package... only to see it implode 3 months later. After years of working with hundreds of founders through my consulting firm, I've noticed something interesting: The most successful companies match their hiring to their stage of growth. Think of it like raising a child: **Baby Stage (Pre-MVP/Early Seed)** When a baby needs basic care and attention - not advanced calculus lessons. Same with your startup: * First, squeeze everything you can from your founding team * Test relationships with contractors/freelancers globally (you can find incredible talent that aligns with your early-stage budget) * Don't rush to give away equity - make them prove themselves first * Ask yourself: "Could I execute this without funding?" **Toddler Stage (Seed to Series A)** Fun story: Alibaba once hired a big shot marketing exec who proposed a $30M marketing plan... when they only had $5M in total funding 🤦‍♂️ At this stage, you need: * Scrappy generalists who can wear multiple hats * People excited by chaos and building from scratch * Skills > Years of experience (I'll take the 4-year full-stack dev over the 10-year Java specialist) **Teenage Stage (Series A+)** Like teenagers, your company needs guidance and structure: * Look for "scalers" - people who build systems * Be open to 1-2 year impact players * Veterans for leadership, hungry talent for execution **Adult Stage** You're all grown up with established processes. Now you need: * People who thrive in structure * Strong culture fits * System-followers rather than system-breakers I'm curious - what stage is your company at and what hiring headaches are you facing? Anyone else seeing these patterns?