Most founders know hiring is much more than filling seats. They just don’t have the words for what they’re looking for.
After 25 years and 38 founding teams, we’ve learned it’s not about finding “A-players.” It’s about finding YOUR players. People who don’t just have the skills; they have the mission-to-mindset match.
These Field Notes are what we’ve learned about finding Co-Builders who amplify your vision, not just execute tasks. People who ask the questions founders ask and who get energized by your stage, not overwhelmed by it. People who see what you’re building and think “I’ve been waiting for exactly this.”
Every insight here was built with founding teams who’ve scaled from 3 people to 350+ employees and beyond. With teams who have grown through chaos, funding rounds, and everything in between.
Take notes. Make this yours. Build better.
Find Your Circle.
01
It all started with a dream
Every founder has that moment. The spark that said “Someone needs to build this.” Maybe you were frustrated by something broken in the world. Maybe you saw an opportunity everyone else missed. Maybe you just couldn’t stop thinking about how things could be better.
That dream is your most powerful tool for attracting Co-Builders. That vision is your keystone: why you started this company and why people will join you on this mission.
But here’s what happens: product-market fit, check. First clients, check. Money coming in, check. When you hit some key milestones, it’s easy to forget that original fire. Hiring becomes transactional. “We need a senior engineer.” “We need a VP of Sales.” Or worse: “I have open headcount for a resource.”
Don’t let that happen.
Your founding vision is your magnet. Everything else is just details.
Where were you when you first put words to your vision?
What convinced you it was YOUR problem to solve?
What did it feel like to imagine changing the world?
What part of your journey would make someone say, “I want to be part of that”?
02
What is a Co-Builder?
You turn the lights on in the morning. You turn them off at night. This is your dream. No one’s going to care like you do.
But you can’t carry it alone. And you can’t hand it off to just anyone.
A Co-Builder hears the dream and chooses it. They don’t just believe in the product; they believe it’s a problem worth solving. Their insight cuts deeper because they actually give a damn. They challenge you because they care.
And the mission feels more real the second they walk in. But how will you know them when you see them?
What kind of questions would they ask if this mission already lived in them?
How would it sound if someone wasn’t just interested, they were lit up?
What does it look like when someone treats your dream like it’s theirs?
What’s the right ratio here: someone who can build with you vs. someone who just gets shit done?
03
Crafting the EVP
Your founding story isn’t just for investors and customers. It’s your magnet for attracting Co-Builders. The passion that drives you to build is what attracts them. Your Employment Value Proposition should be your story, not a list of TLAs.
The mission-to-mindset match starts here.
When you market to customers, you lead with the problems you solve and why your solution matters. Your EVP works the same way. You’re not filling a role, you’re inviting them into a story you want them to help write.
What’s the real offer beyond salary, equity, and perks?
What story are they stepping into?
What is the change you are making in the world?
What part of the story energizes people most?
How does your company change someone’s life arc?
What mindset matches the mission?
04
Human connection
There are lots of places we can and should use AI in hiring. Drafting job descriptions and emails are great examples. Identifying your next Co-Builder is not one of them. People are looking for meaning and purpose in their work. And the best way to find common purpose is through simple human connection.
The best teams aren’t built on perks or even purpose alone. They’re built on trust. The people you want are looking to feel connected to something bigger, something that is going to make a change in the world.
They join because of the humans they meet. They stay because of who they become while building alongside a team they trust. People don’t just want to build a product; they want to build with someone who challenges them and grows with them.
Hiring is your invitation into a relationship, not just a role.
How do you show people that you’re building with them, not just expecting output?
What type of emotional energy do you share with the team?
What is the root of your strongest work relationships?
How do you celebrate wins? More importantly, how do you support people during the chaos?
05
Vision before job description
Your job description is often the first place a future Co-Builder meets you and the team. So why do they usually start with “Responsibilities” and “Requirements”? This is your first impression to make someone lean in, not screen them out.
Before you list what the job does, share why it matters. Lead with vision, and attract people who want to build, not just work.
This isn’t about a canned mission statement. It’s about giving someone a reason to start a conversation.
Ask yourself:
What’s the one sentence that could make someone lean into learning more about your mission?
How can you get them to hear you talking from the page?
How can you engage them in a conversation that makes them want to learn more.
How can they feel the team dynamic from this narrative?
06
Signal, not volume
“Where are the resumes?”
We’ve all heard it, and more importantly, said it. But most searches aren’t about volume. They’re about finding the one person who will make an awesome impact.
So why are we still measuring success by how many candidates come in, instead of focusing on the right ones? Why do we hesitate when we feel we’ve met the right person too quickly?
The right candidate doesn’t solely have the credentials; they ask the kind of questions founders ask. They don’t just want a job. They want THIS job. THIS mission.
We’re not looking for dozens of people who check all the boxes. We’re looking for the one who makes you say, “That’s the one. DONE.” It’s on you to make the challenge and mission clear.
Ask yourself:
What does the right candidate ask that most others don’t?
What signals show that someone has YOUR Co-Builder mindset?
What are the tells that someone is just chasing the next job, not this problem?
What’s a false positive you’ve hired before?
07
The outreach ethos
“Don’t wait for talent to come to you.”
We’ve been saying this for years. But now it’s not just good advice; it’s non-negotiable. With AI stuffing inboxes and job boards full of noise, the inbound pipeline is broken. False fits. Fluffed resumes. People chasing a job, not your mission.
You’ve got to get out there.
Put your story in front of the people who need to hear it even if they’re not actively job-searching. Especially if they’re not looking. Do it personally. Do it with fire. Make it feel like it came from YOU to THEM.
There are plenty of places to find the right people. But first, you need to ask:
Who needs to hear your story?
If you were in their shoes, what kind of message would make you stop mid-scroll?
Where are your future teammates spending time?
How do you make outreach feel intentional and laced with purpose?
Are you inviting them into a transaction, or a conversation about the future?
08
Tooling the recruiting function
You wouldn’t cut without measuring. Why hire without setting the right frame?
Whether you’re doing it yourself, working with a partner, or guiding an internal recruiter, the tools you use matter. Not just software, but the questions you ask, the scorecard you build, the signals you align on.
Without a clear test case, it’s too easy to default to gut: “I don’t know, I just really liked them.” Or worse: “I just didn’t feel it.”
A good toolset doesn’t kill instinct. It sharpens it. It helps you say yes for the right reasons, and no without regret.
How will you know you’re making the right call and not just a comfortable one?
What does a great answer sound like when someone really gets your mission?
What are the 2 to 3 signals this conversation must surface?
What’s your plan to reduce “false positives”?
How will you pressure test conviction, both theirs and yours?
09
Stage aligned, growth wired
Just because someone crushed it at a Fortune 500 company doesn’t mean they’ll crush it with you.
The VP of Sales who managed a 50-person team? She might freeze up when there’s no playbook. The marketing director who had three agencies at his disposal? He could be lost without a budget and a brand team. The engineering lead who’s shipped feature after feature? He might crumble when asked to build the first version from scratch.
Whether you’re 5 or 50 people strong, you’re still at a stage where everyone wears five hats and the strategy changes every quarter, if you’re lucky.
You need someone who thrives in that beautiful chaos, who built the plane while flying it, who doesn’t need perfect conditions to make things happen.
Here’s the catch: you’re not just hiring for today. You’re hiring for the company you’re becoming.
Ask yourself:
Have they built from 0 to 1?
When things got messy, did they step up or step back?
Can they create structure without needing it first?
Are they ready to jump into today’s reality?
What does their stretch into the next level look like?
10
This is where it all comes together
You’ve led with your founding vision. You’ve built the structure to spot signal, not just vibe. Now comes the conversation. This is where hiring stops being transactional, and starts being transformational.
This is not an interview. This is two people figuring out if they can build something special together.
The right person doesn’t ask about the role. They ask about your mission. They don’t wonder if they’re qualified. They wonder if this is what they’ve been waiting to do.
That’s your Co-Builder.
When you find that person, the one who starts talking about your dream like it’s their own, share the story that made you start your company. Show them what you will build together.
The right Co-Builder doesn’t want a job. They want to change the world. Give them that opportunity: the opportunity to become part of your dream.