Hiring guides for SaaS and startup founders
Practical, role-by-role guides on how to hire the leaders who actually move your numbers, written by a working headhunter, not a content team.
Most senior hiring mistakes are made before the search even starts: hiring the wrong profile for your stage, confusing two roles, or writing a brief around activity instead of outcomes. These guides walk through each key role the way we scope a real search, when you are ready to hire, the profile that fits your stage, what to pay in 2026, and the questions that surface the right person. Start with the role you are hiring for, then request a shortlist when you are ready.
Marketing & Growth Leadership
When to hire, the profile that fits your stage, salary benchmarks, and the interview questions that separate a leader from a campaign manager.
How to Hire a Head of Marketing for a SaaS Company (2026 Guide)
When to make the hire, the profile that fits your stage, salary benchmarks, and the interview questions that separate a real marketing leader from a campaign manager →
Read the guide Hiring StrategyHow to Hire a Head of Growth: A Founder's Guide
Head of growth is one of the most mis-hired roles in digital companies. The title covers too many different jobs, the candidate pool is full of people with impressive CVs and mediocre track records, and the failure mode is slow. Here is how to get it right.
Read the guide Hiring StrategyHow to Hire a VP of Growth: What Actually Works for SaaS Founders
Most VP of Growth searches fail because founders hire for brand names and past playbooks instead of stage fit. Here is the profile that works, the red flags that don't, and the interview questions that surface the difference.
Read the guideRevenue & Sales Leadership
The roles that own pipeline and revenue operations, what they actually do, and how to evaluate candidates who can do the job.
How to Hire a Head of Revenue Operations: What Founders Get Wrong
RevOps job titles grew 25x in three years. Most founders still confuse the role with a CRM admin. Here is what a real Head of RevOps actually does, when you need one, and how to evaluate candidates who can do the job.
Read the guide Hiring StrategyHow to Hire a VP of Sales for a SaaS Company: A Founder's Guide
The VP of Sales hire is one of the highest-stakes decisions a SaaS founder makes. Most get it wrong. Here is how to define the role, find the right profile, and avoid the most expensive mistakes.
Read the guideAI Automation & Technical Hires
Hiring the operators who turn manual processes into systems. Skills to screen for, where to find them, and 2026 salary benchmarks.
Executive & C-Level Search
How senior search actually works, from shortlist to offer, and how to recruit C-level leaders without wasting a quarter.
How to Hire a C-Level Executive for a Digital-First Company
Most executive search advice is written for corporate HR teams with six-month timelines and enterprise budgets. This guide is for founders and operators at agencies, SaaS companies, and e-commerce brands who need to get the hire right without the luxury of a long runway.
Read the guide Executive SearchC-Level Executive Recruitment: 9 Methods That Actually Work in 2026
C-level executive recruitment is the discipline of finding and hiring CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, and other senior leaders. It costs 25-33% of first-year salary at large firms, 15-20% at boutiques. Here are 9 methods that actually work.
Read the guide Executive SearchWhat Does a C-Level Shortlist Actually Look Like? A Sample Template
Most hiring managers have never seen what a great executive shortlist looks like. Here is the format we deliver: candidate summary, scorecard rating, evidence, and a recommendation per candidate.
Read the guide Executive SearchHow Long Does an Executive Search Take? Realistic Timelines for C-Suite Hires in 2026
Executive searches typically take 8 to 16 weeks. Boutique firms can compress this further. Here is what drives the timeline and what slows it down.
Read the guideCosts & Hiring Frameworks
What a search costs, the fee models compared, and the assessment frameworks that make hiring decisions defensible.
Recruitment Agency Fees Explained: Contingency vs Retained vs Embedded (2026)
Hiring an agency? See exact 2026 pricing: contingency 15-25%, retained 25-33%, embedded $5k-20k/mo. Which model saves money. Compare now →
Read the guide Hiring StrategyHow Much Does Executive Search Cost in 2026?
Executive search: 10-33% of salary. What you're paying for. When it's worth it. Compare retained vs contingency models → Save 50% vs large firms
Read the guide Hiring StrategyWhy Founders Who Hire with a Job Scorecard Outsmart the Market
Most hiring decisions are made on gut feel. Founders who use a structured scorecard consistently outperform those who don't. Here is how the framework works.
Read the guide Hiring StrategyStructured Interviews: Disadvantages, Pros and Cons for Hiring Managers
Most people searching for structured interviews want to understand the disadvantages first. Here they are, along with the genuine advantages and when structured interviewing is right for your process.
Read the guide Hiring StrategyHow to Implement Topgrading in Your Recruitment Strategy
Topgrading is a rigorous interviewing methodology that consistently identifies A players. Here is how to implement it without overcomplicating your process.
Read the guideDone reading? Let us run the search.
We deliver a shortlist of 3–6 scored candidates in under 10 days. Founder-led, no handoffs.