Hiring developers is one of the hardest things founders do.
You may not be technical. You don't know what questions to ask. You're terrified of making a $150,000 mistake.
And developers are hard to read. Great coders can be terrible communicators. Great communicators might not code well. And there's always someone who looks great on paper but can't deliver.
Let me give you a practical guide to hiring developers without getting burned.
Know What You Need
Before you hire, be clear on what you're hiring for:
Type #1: The Solo Developer
- Works independently
- Can make decisions without guidance
- Comfortable with ambiguity
- Can do everything (frontend, backend, devops)
Best for: Early-stage startups, MVPs, solo founders
Type #2: The Specialist
- Deep expertise in one area (e.g., React, Python, mobile)
- Works well with others
- Needs clear requirements
Best for: Later-stage companies with defined needs
Type #3: The Technical Co-Founder
- Takes ownership of technical direction
- Invested in the company's success
- Long-term partner, not just an employee
Best for: Founders who need a technical partner
Where to Find Developers
Option #1: Your Network
- Friends who code
- Former colleagues
- Alumni from your school or company
Pros: Trust, known track record, cheaper vetting Cons: Limited pool, potential relationship complications
Option #2: Technical Communities
- GitHub (look at contributors)
- Stack Overflow
- Hacker News
- Reddit (r/programming, r/webdev)
- Discord/Slack communities
Pros: Access to passionate developers Cons: Requires effort to build relationships
Option #3: Job Boards
- AngelList
- We Work Remotely
- Remote OK
- Y Combinator's Work at a Startup
Pros: Wide reach, structured process Cons: Lots of applicants, hard to filter
Option #4: Agencies/Freelance Platforms
- Toptal
- Gun.io
- Upwork (for freelancers)
Pros: Vetted talent, faster to hire Cons: More expensive, less commitment
Option #5: Meetups and Conferences
- Local tech meetups
- Industry conferences
- Hackathons
Pros: Meet people face-to-face, strong candidates Cons: Time-intensive, local-only
How to Evaluate Developers
Resume Red Flags
- Too many short jobs (less than 1 year)
- Huge gaps between jobs
- Vague descriptions ("worked on various projects")
- No GitHub or portfolio link
- Technologies that are outdated
Resume Green Flags
- Clear, specific accomplishments
- Evidence of impact (improved performance by X%)
- Open source contributions
- Side projects
- Relevant technologies
The Technical Interview
Step 1: Basic Screening
- Ask about their experience with your tech stack
- Discuss a project they worked on in detail
- Look for depth of understanding, not just buzzwords
Step 2: Coding Challenge
Give them a small, realistic task. Something that takes 1-2 hours.
What to test:
- Can they write clean, readable code?
- Do they ask clarifying questions?
- Do they handle edge cases?
- Can they explain their thinking?
Tip: Make it relevant to your actual work. Not brain teasers.
Step 3: Pair Programming
Have them work alongside you or a team member on a real problem.
What to observe:
- How do they communicate?
- Do they explain their thinking?
- How do they handle being stuck?
- Is it comfortable to work with them?
Step 4: Reference Checks
Talk to their previous managers or colleagues.
Ask:
- Would you work with them again?
- What were their strengths?
- What were their areas for improvement?
- How did they handle conflict or pressure?
The Trial Project
Before you commit, do a paid trial project:
Duration: 1-2 weeks, paid hourly Scope: A real piece of work, not a throwaway test Deliverable: Working code that you can actually use
What to evaluate:
- Did they deliver on time?
- Is the code clean and maintainable?
- Did they communicate well?
- Was the result what you expected?
This costs a few thousand dollars but saves you from a $150,000 mistake.
What to Pay
Early-Stage Reality
In an early-stage startup, you can't always compete on salary.
Options:
- Higher equity for lower salary
- Market rate salary with meaningful equity
- Freelance rates for contractors
Salary Benchmarks
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
US (Bay Area) | $100-130K | $150-180K | $180-250K |
US (Other) | $70-100K | $100-140K | $140-180K |
Remote (Global) | $40-70K | $70-100K | $100-150K |
These are rough guidelines. Adjust based on:
- Your funding situation
- Cost of living in their location
- Their experience level
- Your equity offering
Equity for Developers
How Much to Offer
For a senior developer in an early-stage startup:
- Contractor: 0.1-0.25% with 1-year cliff
- Employee: 0.25-1.0% with 4-year vest
Vesting Schedule
- Standard: 4-year vesting with 1-year cliff
- Cliff: Nothing until 1 year, then 25%
- After cliff: Monthly vesting
Key Points
- Be transparent about the total pool and your valuation
- Explain the assumptions and risks
- Get legal help with the paperwork
- Don't promise more than you can deliver
Red Flags to Watch
Red Flag #1: Can't Explain Their Work
If they can't clearly explain a project they worked on, they may not have actually done it.
Red Flag #2: No Side Projects
Passionate developers build things on the side. No side projects might mean no passion.
Red Flag #3: Bad Communication
If they're hard to reach, don't respond clearly, or are defensive, it will only get worse.
Red Flag #4: Overconfident
"I'm the best developer you'll ever hire" is a warning sign. Good developers are usually humble.
Red Flag #5: Wants to Remain Remote Forever
Remote work is fine, but in early stages, occasional in-person time can be valuable.
Red Flag #6: Focuses Only on "Cool" Tech
If they only want to work with the latest framework and refuse "boring" technology, they're not pragmatic.
Onboarding Your New Developer
The first 30 days matter:
Week 1: Setup and Learning
- Get them productive environment set up
- Introduce them to the codebase
- Assign small, contained tasks
Week 2: First Contribution
- Give them a meaningful but small task
- Code review closely
- Provide lots of feedback
Week 3: Integration
- Increase scope of tasks
- Less hands-on code review
- More autonomy
Week 4: Evaluation
- Assess their fit
- Address any issues
- Set expectations for the future
The Bottom Line
Hiring developers is hard, but it doesn't have to be painful.
The keys:
- Know what you need before you start looking
- Evaluate based on real work, not interviews
- Do a paid trial project before committing
- Check references carefully
- Onboard them well
Take your time. The cost of a bad hire is much higher than the cost of waiting.
Need Help Hiring Developers?
At Startupbricks, we've helped dozens of startups build technical teams—from first hire to scaling. Whether you need:
- Help defining what you need
- Interview process design
- Candidate evaluation
- Compensation guidance
Let's talk. We help founders build strong technical teams.