Key insights

• ⚡ Efficient hiring process with minimal interviewing for first hire Marius as a full stack engineer
• 🏗️ Emphasis on quick decision-making and leveraging remote job boards for hiring second hire Eric as a contractor
• 💰 Hiring process involving a paid 'super week' to assess candidate's abilities and fit with the company culture in a remote community-led company
• 🔍 Efficient and quick hiring process due to unique approach of focusing on transparency and open-source standing
• 🎨 Hiring a graphic designer named Lottie as the fourth employee, found through a tweet showcasing her portfolio
• 🔒 Retention of all five hires due to prioritizing care for individual contributors and anti-managerial culture
• 🚀 Leading by example through hands-on work, careful hiring, and swift decision-making for letting go of employees
• 📝 Providing extensive notice and feedback when letting an employee go

Q&A

• What approach did the growth stage company take to maintain high standards in hiring and employee management?

  The company maintained high standards by leading through hands-on work, careful hiring to ensure the candidate's fit for the role, and swift decision-making for letting go of employees not meeting the required standards. Additionally, they provide extensive notice and feedback when letting an employee go.

• What characteristics and skills did PostHog focus on when hiring engineers?

  PostHog aimed to find engineers with characteristics such as being open source-oriented, transparent, passionate, and scrappy. They also emphasized the individual contributors and anti-managerial culture, which has contributed to the retention of all five hires.

• How did the growth stage company find and hire a graphic designer named Lottie?

  The company found Lottie through a tweet showcasing her portfolio, aiming to create a well-designed product for developers and build a unique brand. Lottie's talent and quick demonstration of her skills made the hiring process easy and low-risk.

• How did the growth stage company achieve efficient and impressive hiring?

  The company focused on transparency and had a unique hiring process, such as unusually large transparency in pay and decision-making before hiring. They found a data engineer through GitHub repo stars, attributing their efficient and quick hiring process to this unique approach and their open-source standing.

• What are the core values emphasized in the hiring process at Postdoc Pesos?

  Postdoc Pesos focuses on transparency, autonomy, and proactive, scrappy individuals in its hiring process. The company's public handbook and interview process reflect its commitment to transparency and remote work philosophy, involving a paid 'super week' to assess candidates' abilities and fit with the company culture.

• What was the hiring process like for the first two hires at the growth stage company?

  The company efficiently hired a full stack engineer named Marius as a contractor with minimal interviewing. The second hire, Eric, was also brought on as a contractor after raising a seed round, emphasizing quick decision-making and leveraging remote job boards for hiring.

• 00:00 In this segment, a co-founder and CEO of a growth stage company funded by Y Combinator discusses their first two hires, emphasizing the efficient and unconventional hiring process.
• 03:41 Postdoc Pesos operates as a remote community-led company, emphasizing transparency, autonomy, and proactive, scrappy individuals in its hiring process. The company's public handbook and interview process reflect its commitment to transparency and remote work philosophy.
• 07:03 The company focused on transparency, had a unique hiring process, and found key hires through GitHub stars. Their open-source standing led to efficient and impressive hiring.
• 10:13 The company hired a graphic designer named Lottie as their fourth employee, and they found her through a tweet showcasing her portfolio. They wanted to create a well-designed product tailored for developers and build a unique brand. Lottie's talent and quick demonstration of her skills made the hiring process easy and low-risk.
• 13:13 PostHog's successful hiring approach focused on finding engineers with the right characteristics and skills, including being open source-oriented, transparent, passionate, and scrappy. The emphasis on individual contributors and anti-managerial culture has contributed to the company's retention of all five hires.
• 16:24 Setting an example of hands-on work, careful hiring, and swift decision-making for letting go of employees has been crucial to maintaining high standards at the company.