Hiring the right developers for your startup can be tricky when you consider that 70% of startups fail between years three and five—and nearly 25% of those failures are linked to teamwork problems. So how can you find developers who won’t just bring technical skills, but will also thrive in a startup’s dynamic environment? What strategies can you use to evaluate motivation, adaptability, and the hunger to innovate? And how can real-world tasks help you ensure that your new hires are ready to succeed in your startup culture from day one?
At DistantJob, an IT remote staffing agency, we have more than 15 years of experience helping entrepreneurs find developers for startup businesses. And here is what we learned so far:
• 152 k tech layoffs, but demand for skilled devs remains sky-high
• 96 % of startups cite “skill gap” as the #1 hiring hurdle
• 45 % of U.S. developers leave within two years, killing continuity
• Remote dev jobs outrank onsite ads for the first time in 2025
What skills should you look for when hiring a developer for a startup
Not all programmers are a good fit for a fast-paced environment such as a startup, no matter how tech-proficient they are.
Here are the traits and skills you need to look for in your new developer to join you in your startup:
- 🚩 Big Company Developers Often Suck at Startups
Developers who are accustomed to working for big companies have trouble dealing with an environment that is filled with uncertainty and rapid change. Ideally, you want to find developers trained in an environment where such challenges exist, like lean project teams and side projects with minimal resources
2.🔎 Be Wary of Developers Who Over-optimize
Some of the best developers have a tendency of over-optimizing too early. They usually focus on the perfect code, infrastructure and other systems that are not as important in the start-up phase. Studies have shown that developers who prioritize optimization before fully understanding the problem can waste significant time and resources, leading to project delays.
Remember, the name of the game of successful start-ups is rapid testing. You cannot test when your guy is stuck on the first step because he is trying to make the process perfect. You need to ensure you hire someone who understands the value of an MVP and rapid testing. Great engineers know which optimizations will matter.
3. 🔥 Start-up People Don’t Say “That’s Not My Job”
One of the scariest things you can hear from a potential employee is “that’s not my job.” Indeed, at the later stages of development, you want someone highly focused on a particular specialty, and they might need to say, “this is not my expertise.”
But the nature of start-ups is having a fighting team who will do what it takes to make things happen. In a startup, you need team players who are willing to figure things out and take ownership of problems.
Problem-solving skills are crucial in a startup environment, enabling adaptability, innovation, and efficiency. And note that great startup developers are generalists.
4. 🧠 What Cultural Fit Actually Means
Cultural fit is not about hiring people with whom you want to hang out. Cultural fit is hiring people who share the same values and who might be the one to tell you that you’re doing the wrong thing. This is why it’s important to focus interview questions on values—not on whether a person has the same music interests as you.
If you’re looking for ways to hire the right developer while focusing on scaling your business, here are a few steps to try:
How Can a Startup Find Developers? 7 Best Hiring Strategies
Before starting to recruit developers for your startup, there are certain aspects you need to consider. You might already have your business idea, but telling a developer,’I’m building a billionaire business, want to be part of it?’’ won’t convince them to join your team.
These are the seven main steps to hiring developers for your startup:
1. Define Your Vision
Every startup wants to hire great developers, but here’s what most founders miss: Before you dive into hiring, you need a compelling story that developers want to be part of. Today’s top technical talent isn’t just looking for a paycheck – they’re looking for interesting problems to solve and missions they can believe in. Startups highlighting career growth and not social missions received 46% more applications compared to those that did not.
The real trick? Be super clear about your startup and what you can offer. Start with:
- Being transparent that you’re offering a startup position
- Share the budget you have available for the position
- Create a detailed description of what the role will entail
- Set up a small paid test
Most developers actually prefer this approach, and they rather appreciate your transparency over fluffing up a recruitment process. They’ve been there and done that with the big boys and are looking for something more meaningful. Many of them would have no problem working for a lower base salary if you offer equity, and there is potential for growth.
2. Hire Motivated Developers who are up for the Challenge
Motivation and fit should be key factors in building a successful startup team. Ensuring that your team members love the startup dynamic and have the resilience to stick around during tough times can be the difference between success and failure.
Startups need people who are adaptable, capable of handling pressure, and who believe in your vision. When growth is slow, you want your employees to stay committed, keep developing the product, and not just put in 40 hours a week and then disappear.
In tougher times, you’ll need even greater productivity and innovation from your team. So having a strong culture, where you offer stock options plans to your employee is key. When people own a piece of the company, they’ll work harder and stick together – they’re building something that’s partly theirs. That’s how you improve motivation, retention of employees and builds team spirit and commitment to your startup. Startups that offered stock options (ESOPs) grew three times faster than those that didn’t.
3. Understand the Technicalities
There’s a lot of nuance in software development.
Don’t be tempted to write an unreal, exciting job description; be honest. If this role involves long hours of solo coding, there will be developers who think they’ve just been offered a place in heaven.
If it’s a multi-skilled role where they will be talking to clients, doing a little bit of tech support, and pitching in with product design, that will be someone’s idea of Nirvana, too.
The bottom line is, it does no one any favors if there aren’t clear expectations, The worst thing you can do is hire someone only to find out they’re not the right fit. That just delays projects and destroys morale.
Additionally, is key for you to understand the role itself. You could sit two developers next to each other with the same job title and skill set, but they do vastly different things. If you’re not technical yourself, call in support to get an exact specification for the developer you need.
4. Try the “Proof of Concept” Approach
Traditionally, companies test a programmer’s skills with whiteboards. However, these are no longer your best option as it’s proven that they don’t help you successfully measure a developer’s knowledge.
Instead of doing a regular interview, create a small paid test project (4-8 hours max) and pay for it and make sure it’s related to the problems that you are facing with your product. This will help you find people who can help you solve your real issues, not just people who know how to interview well.
Keep in mind that finding developers for your startup is not only about their skills and capabilities. It’s also about the passion and the value they will bring to your team. If you make good hires from the start, scaling your startup will be easier.
If you want to get the best out of the process, you’ll need to develop a series of questions that help you understand personality, ambition, and past performance to see if this person will work well in your team.
5. Hire Remotely
If you live in one of the centers for technology like Silicon Valley, you might just have the best talent on your doorstep. If you don’t, you might have to consider going further afield and building a distributed team.
According to LinkedIn Talent Insights Q1 2025, 40% more candidates apply when a job is available remotely. This allows you to tap into a broader and more diverse level of expertise, which might not be available locally. As a result, you can create a better “divide and conquer” strategy, making your entire organization more innovative and productive. So, if you want to hire fast, attract top talent, and find people who can work even in tough times with tight budgets, you need to jump on this remote opportunity.
With most startups ‘headquarters’ being someone’s home or garage, for cost and convenience, knowing that you don’t need to get bricks and mortar premises and all the costs they bring with you is a major bonus.
Hiring developers for a startup doesn’t mean taking on more debt.
6. Avoid Freelancers
There is a place for freelancers in the world of software development, but it isn’t as a full-time employee of a startup.
Freelancers can overpromise and underdeliver. According to Upwork, 60% of freelancers work on multiple projects throughout the year. This means that often these people will disappear in the middle of your project, leaving you worse off than you were before they started.
While freelancers might seem the cheaper solution at the beginning to build your startup dev team, you will end up spending more in the long run. Harvard Business Review reports that companies that heavily rely on freelancers instead of hiring in-house spend 30% more in the long term.
7. Find The Right Partners
One of the most demanding aspects of building a startup is that you will have to manage everything initially. When looking for developers, you have many different options, from freelancing marketplaces to recruitment agencies. Your job is to find which place can help you find the developer you need at an affordable cost.
There is a place for freelancers in the world of software development, but it isn’t as a full-time employee of a startup.
You might (might) find the right person on a marketplace, but boards are usually chaotic places, where it’s often a race to the bottom in terms of price which obviously has an impact on quality.
Unless you have time and resource available, it’s probably going to be worth working with partners to get some of the job done. You can find people who will support you to:
- Write job descriptions
- Promote your advertisement
- Find candidates
- Provide technical tests
- Handle the HR paperwork
Just a brief note her to say – we do all of that.
Where to Find and Hire Developers for Your Startup?
If you’re considering the DIY approach then there are multiple strategies you can consider.
Here are the top 7 places to find and hire developers for your company, from freelancers to remote full-time employees. Each one has its pros and cons:
1. Toptal – Exclusive Network of Vetted Freelancers
If you have an upcoming important IT project that you want to be handled diligently, then look no further than Toptal freelancers. They boast a vast network of freelance software developers, designers, and product managers, among other professionals you need.
At Toptal, the focus is on providing a competitive and transparent hiring process, enabling you to acquire the talent your company requires quickly. Their top freelance developers are all carefully assessed in line with industry experience, skills, and availability—you can rest assured you’ll get the right developer for the role you advertised for.
Main cons of freelancing platforms? Although there are a lot of offers, getting real talent is hard. You may see a freelancer offering cheap rates; that could be because they are trying to gather reviews to prove their worth, or they could not be great at what they do.
Freelancers can’t focus 100% on your project because a) they run their businesses and may be involved in or looking for other projects and b) they are not fully integrated into the culture of your company.
2. Arc – Best for Hiring Remote Developers Faster and Efficiently
Arc allows you to find and hire top developers globally that match your ideal specifications. This AI-powered platform excels at screening the available candidates and matching them to your business’s technical requirements.
They manage all the technical assessments, ensuring you get the best from a global pool of more than 300,000 developers. If you’re looking to upgrade and scale your globally remote developer team while reducing costs and saving time, Arc provides the best solution.
Cons: Arc focuses on remote developers, which may limit your options if you’re seeking local talent or developers with specific on-site requirements.
3. Dice – Your Gateway to Project-based or Freelance Developers
Hiring the right developer for your startup can be tough, and Dice provides the ideal employer solutions to simplify the entire process.
With a large database of 5.1 million resources and a special focus on Tech experts, Dice steps up time-to-hire your next project-based developer, ensuring you get the best fit for your needs.
Cons: Dice’s database may have a regional bias, so finding candidates from different locations might be more challenging.
4. Job Boards like LinkedIn
Organizations and even recruiters use job boards when they are looking for candidates, listing for your roles means you need to handle all the applications, though.
Main cons of job boards? Too many candidates give you a lot of admin and the job of creating a shortlist. Unfortunately, there is no vetting, meaning you will have to verify each candidate yourself.
5. Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow stands as a premier online hub for developers, renowned for its vibrant community where tech professionals and industry leaders converge to exchange knowledge and insights. Echoing the functionalities of platforms like LinkedIn, Stack Overflow also features a job board.
This platform enables employers to advertise positions and recruit skilled developers, fostering a dynamic space for both learning and professional opportunities in the tech world.
Cons: While Stack Overflow provides technical expertise, evaluating practical skills for a startup role may still require additional assessments and consideration of competition for popular contributors.
6. GhitHub
GitHub stands out as a prime destination for startups looking to hire developers due to its numerous advantages. As a platform with millions of users, GitHub hosts a diverse and vast community of developers, covering a wide array of fields and expertise levels. This makes it an ideal place for startups to scout for talent with the required skills and experience. The platform also serves as a showcase for developers to display their projects and contributions, providing a clear picture of their technical abilities and work history.
Remember, when reaching out try to be respectful and personalized, valuing the developer’s contributions and aligning with their interests.
Cons: GitHub profiles often lack comprehensive professional information, requiring additional validation of skills and experience. Popular developers may receive numerous recruitment inquiries, making it challenging to stand out.
7. DistantJob – Remote Recruiting & EOR Services
DistantJob is a remote IT recruitment agency dedicated to helping companies of all sizes find senior software engineers that align with your needs.
We headhunt globally to find the best full-time remote developers that match your company’s core values and culture. Our comprehensive HR solution covers all legal, payroll, and administrative tasks, making it a hassle-free experience. Working with us for your next recruitment means achieving high-quality results at an affordable rate.
Main cons of remote recruitment agencies? As the name says, they only specialize in remote talent. If you’re looking for people to attend the office, this isn’t the solution for you.
Find Developers for Your Startup Now With DistantJob in Just Two Weeks
And that’s a wrap. You have all the information you need to find the ideal software developer or software engineer for your startup business. It is just a matter of figuring out which one suits you best, based on the budget and resources you have.
If you need to hire remote developers, we’re here for you. The key to finding developers for your startup is through DistantJob. We are a recruitment agency that specializes in headhunting the world’s top IT talent. We know how to recruit and source qualified remote IT experts at a fraction of the usual cost.
We can provide you with top remote developers who also have the skills and the personality to integrate successfully into your company.
- Do you want to find a talented developer?
- Do you want real talent in your company?
- Do you want it fast?
If the answer is yes, hiring globally is the strategy you are looking for. And at DistantJob, we can help you! Get in touch today online or visit our Montreal offices!
