Speed is a startup’s biggest hiring advantage. A loop that takes a week instead of a month wins candidates who are also talking to bigger companies.

The five steps

1. Intro call (30 minutes). Founder-led. Share the story, the role and the compensation range. Listen more than you talk.
2. Skills conversation (60 minutes). Walk through something they’ve built or led. Go deep on decisions, not trivia.
3. Work sample (2–3 hours, paid). A small, realistic task. Pay for their time; it signals respect and improves completion rates.
4. Team conversation (45 minutes). The people they’ll work with most. Focus on how they collaborate and disagree.
5. Founder close (30 minutes). Answer every remaining question, especially the uncomfortable ones about risk and runway.

Decide within 24 hours

Write feedback the same day and meet to decide the next morning. Every day of silence is a day a competitor can make an offer.

Keep a scorecard

Before the first interview, agree on the three to four things that matter most for this role. Score every candidate against the same list. It’s the simplest way to avoid hiring the person you liked most rather than the person who fits best.