Matt Lea is the founder and CEO of a start-up called Schematical , which builds white label Facebook apps. Here he shares his experience on how he hired his early employees:
As other entrepreneurs can attest, it’s usually easier to hire someone you know early on, and I was no exception. I worked with my current designer at a previous company and met my developers in college. These are people I got to know, trust and admire for their talents. Thus, I minimized my risk in hiring them.
The only employee I have that I didn’t already know was discovered through an ad on Craigslist. I took a “chance” on her because during the interview, I could see that she had the drive and entrepreneurial spirit, plus she really fit in with our culture and my philosophies. She also was the only employee with whom I conducted the traditional interview process—a phone interview followed by an in-person interview.
Meanwhile, I met with the developers over a beer to discuss how we could all work together. For the graphic designer, I had this awful design I was using to pitch my consulting clients on the idea for Schematical. I called him up telling him that I needed to make it look like it was not made circa 1992. He was happy to help, and the rest was history.
To date, I’m still pleased with my hiring decisions, and I would recommend hiring people you already know and trust. It’ll help you minimize risks and save you a lot of time and effort.