Your Mission Deserves a World-Class Team
Why early-stage founders can’t afford to wing it on hiring.
“The team you build is the company you build.”
— Naval Ravikant
When I started my first venture, Kano, I thought the most challenging part would be raising capital or shipping a product.
I was wrong.
The most challenging and defining part was building the right team. This insight has been reinforced through the subsequent ventures since starting my first: finding, attracting, and retaining people who share the company's mission, who can operate through chaos, and who turn ideas into reality not because they have a playbook but because they have the character, creativity, and conviction to figure it out.
At Kano and later at Supersocial, I learned the hard way that early-stage hiring isn’t just about “filling roles.” It’s about building the DNA of our company. And if you get it wrong, nothing else works.
While there are many things I did right throughout my ventures to date, there are also many things I could have done better. This is why, over time, I’ve developed a framework to help companies attract, evaluate, and retain incredible talent.
The bottom line: It’s about building the team your mission deserves.
Think of it as a strategic system designed for founders building bold companies in uncertain times. If you’re in the pre-seed to Series A stage and feel like you’re flying blind on hiring, this is for you.
Pillar 1: Foundation - Design the strategy before you hire the team.
Most early teams are built reactively: someone quits, so you post a job. You raise money, so you hire in a rush.
But great founders know that hiring is about design, not just execution. That’s why we start by clarifying what we’re building—so we can hire for it with purpose.
Things to consider when executing a hiring plan:
Culture & Values Blueprint: codify the behaviors, principles, and traits that define your mission and team.
Org Design & Role Architecture: a 12–18 month hiring roadmap with role specs and a scalable org chart.
Recruitment Narrative & Positioning: a “Why Join Us” story that resonates with high-agency, A+ talent.
Too many early teams grow before they know who they are. You want to ensure your hiring strategy reflects your mission, not just your backlog.
Pillar 2: Acquisition - Find, assess, and close the right talent
Even with a clear story and roadmap, great candidates don’t fall from the sky. You need effective systems to source, vet, and close them, without losing momentum or making compromises that hurt later.
Things to consider:
Establish your sourcing playbook: Prepare high-response templates, identify unconventional channels, and craft global/local outreach plans.
Design a hiring funnel: Structured interview loops with scorecards, kits, and dashboards that create clarity and speed.
Closing Strategy & Offers: Custom scripts and equity tools will help you close confidently and transparently.
Your target should be a 90%+ close rate for final-round candidates.
Pillar 3: Retention - Ensure every hire thrives from day one
Hiring is the beginning of your new recruit’s journey, not the finish line. The first 90 days determine whether a new hire can become an incredible asset to the company or a costly mistake.
Things to consider:
Onboarding & 90-Day Plans: Create role-specific checklists, success metrics, and weekly feedback rhythms.
Team Culture & Rituals: Craft the operating cadences, collaboration norms, and lightweight rituals to keep teams aligned and energized.
Performance & Growth Frameworks: Define progression ladders, documentation systems, and review cycles that scale with you.
Remember that you are constantly building a culture, not just hiring a team.
Why This Matters Now
Hiring may not seem like the most urgent task on your plate right now, but it’s the most leveraged.
Because:
Product is built by people
Capital is deployed by people
Culture is modeled by people
Survival and scale are powered by people
And in today’s market, world-class talent wants more than just attractive comp. They want purpose, clarity, and the chance to build something meaningful from the ground up.
If you get this right, everything else will move faster. With the right people, there are no limits to what you can accomplish.
If you’re an early-stage company (or beyond), raising your next round and/or want to figure out your hiring roadmap, recruitment plan, or scaling your early team, nailing these three things will pay dividends over time:
1/ Foundation - Design the strategy before you hire the team.
2/ Acquisition - Find, assess, and close the right talent.
3/ Retention - Ensure every hire thrives from day one
Thanks for reading,
Yon
👋 Hello! My mission with Beyond with Yon is to ignite awareness, inspire dialogue, and drive innovation to tackle humanity's greatest existential challenges. Join me on the journey to unf**ck the future and transform our world.