Overview
Series A hiring covers companies that have raised Series A funding—typically $5-15M raised, 20-50 employees, and moving from product-market fit to scaling. This is a critical transition:
Post-Series A realities:
- More cash — Can compete on salary, not just equity
- Proven model — Product-market fit reduces risk
- Scaling pressure — Need to grow the team quickly
- Process needed — Too big for ad-hoc hiring
- Culture at risk — Rapid growth can dilute culture
Post-Series A advantages:
- Reduced risk — Series A validates the business model
- Better compensation — Can offer competitive salaries
- Growth trajectory — Clear path to Series B and beyond
- Team building — Can hire specialists, not just generalists
- Resources — Budget for tools, processes, and infrastructure
The key is scaling systematically while maintaining what made you successful: speed, mission, and culture.
The Post-Series A Hiring Mindset
You're Building a Company, Not Just a Product
After Series A, you're not just hiring engineers—you're building an engineering organization. This requires:
- Systematic hiring — Processes that scale beyond founder-led
- Team structure — Clear roles, career paths, and growth
- Culture preservation — Maintaining startup energy as you grow
- Balanced approach — Speed + process, equity + salary
The Compensation Shift
You can now compete on both dimensions:
| Early-Stage Approach | Post-Series A Approach |
|---|---|
| $120K + 1% equity | $180K + 0.5% equity |
| Equity-focused pitch | Balanced equity + salary |
| "Startup experience" | "Proven model + growth" |
| High risk, high reward | Moderate risk, high reward |
Key insight: You still offer meaningful equity (0.3-1% for seniors), but now you can also match market salaries. This dramatically expands your talent pool.
Scaling Your Engineering Team
Team Size Progression
20-30 engineers: Start building structure
- First engineering manager
- Some specialization (frontend, backend, DevOps)
- Basic processes (standups, code review, planning)
- Still very collaborative
30-50 engineers: More specialization
- Multiple managers
- Clear career paths
- More process (sprints, retrospectives)
- Start building platform/infrastructure teams
50-100 engineers: Organization building
- VP Engineering or CTO
- Multiple teams with clear ownership
- Established processes
- Platform, infrastructure, and product teams
Hiring Priorities
1. Engineering Managers (Critical)
- Hire your first manager at 8-10 engineers
- Hire managers who can code and lead
- Look for startup experience, not just big company process
2. Senior Engineers (Foundation)
- Build depth in key areas
- Can mentor and lead projects
- Still generalist enough to adapt
3. Specialists (As Needed)
- DevOps, security, data engineering
- Only when you have clear need and scale
- Don't over-specialize too early
4. Mid-Level Engineers (Growth Engine)
- Hire for trajectory, not just current skills
- Can grow into senior roles
- Often better culture fit than big company seniors
The Post-Series A Hiring Process
Build Process, But Keep Speed
You need more structure than early-stage, but don't become a big company:
Target timeline: 2-3 weeks (still faster than big companies)
Process structure:
- Day 1: Recruiter/HR screen (30 min)
- Day 3-5: Technical screen (1 hour)
- Day 7-10: Team interviews (2-3 people, 1 hour each)
- Day 12-14: Hiring manager + offer discussion
- Day 14-17: Offer and close
What to add:
- ✅ Structured interview process
- ✅ Multiple interviewers (but not too many)
- ✅ Clear evaluation criteria
- ✅ Hiring committee or manager approval
What to avoid:
- ❌ 5+ interview rounds
- ❌ Hiring committees that slow things down
- ❌ Complex take-home projects
- ❌ 6+ week timelines
Interview Structure
Round 1: Recruiter/HR Screen
- Culture fit and motivation
- Basic qualifications
- Compensation expectations
- Timeline and logistics
Round 2: Technical Screen
- Coding challenge or system design
- Technical depth
- Problem-solving approach
- 1 hour, focused
Round 3: Team Interviews
- 2-3 team members
- Different perspectives (technical, culture, collaboration)
- Can be done same day or spread out
- Each 1 hour
Round 4: Hiring Manager + Offer
- Final culture fit
- Role expectations
- Growth path
- Offer discussion
Where to Find Post-Series A Talent
Best Sources
- Your network — Referrals from current team
- daily.dev — Developers actively learning and growing
- LinkedIn — More effective now that you have a brand
- Engineering communities — Local meetups, conferences
- Previous colleagues — People you've worked with
- Recruiters — Can help now that you have budget
Candidate Profiles
Ideal post-Series A candidates:
- Early-stage experience — Understands startup dynamics
- Growth mindset — Wants to scale with the company
- Balanced motivation — Values both equity and salary
- Team player — Can work in a larger organization
- Still adaptable — Not too process-dependent
Red flags:
- Only interested in big company stability
- Overly focused on process and structure
- Can't adapt to changing priorities
- Wants to specialize too narrowly too early
Common Post-Series A Hiring Mistakes
1. Over-Process Everything
Don't become a big company overnight. You still need speed and flexibility.
Signs you're over-processing:
- 5+ interview rounds
- Hiring committees that take weeks
- Complex assessments that don't add value
- 6+ week timelines
Better: Build process that enables speed, not slows it down.
2. Hiring Only Senior Engineers
Senior engineers are expensive and often over-qualified for what you need.
Better: Hire mid-level engineers who can grow into senior roles. They're:
- More affordable
- Better culture fit
- More adaptable
- Excited about growth
3. Losing Your Culture
Rapid growth can dilute what made you successful.
How to preserve culture:
- Hire for culture fit, not just skills
- Onboard carefully—set expectations early
- Keep founders involved in hiring key roles
- Document your values and live them
4. Copying Big Company Processes
Don't copy Google's hiring process just because you have more resources.
Better: Build processes that fit your stage:
- Fast but thorough
- Structured but flexible
- Scalable but not bureaucratic
5. Ignoring Equity
Just because you can pay more doesn't mean you should ignore equity.
Key insight: Equity still matters. 0.5% of a potential unicorn is meaningful. Don't become a "salary-only" company—you'll lose your best candidates to companies that offer both.
6. Not Building Hiring Infrastructure
You can't scale hiring if founders are doing everything.
What to build:
- Recruiting function (internal or agency)
- Interview training for team
- Clear evaluation criteria
- Efficient scheduling and logistics
- Employer branding
Compensation Strategy
Salary Ranges (Post-Series A)
- Junior engineer: $100-130K
- Mid-level engineer: $140-180K
- Senior engineer: $180-250K
- Staff engineer: $220-300K
- Engineering manager: $180-250K + equity
Equity Ranges
- Senior engineer: 0.3-0.8%
- Staff engineer: 0.5-1%
- Engineering manager: 0.5-1%
- VP Engineering: 1-2%
Key: Equity is still meaningful. Don't reduce it just because you can pay more.
Total Compensation Approach
Present both clearly:
- Salary: $180K
- Equity: 0.5% (if we hit Series B at $50M valuation, that's $250K)
- Total first-year value: $180K + $250K = $430K potential
Building Your Engineering Organization
Organizational Structure
20-30 engineers:
- 1-2 engineering managers
- Teams organized by product area or feature
- Still very flat
30-50 engineers:
- 3-5 engineering managers
- Teams with clear ownership
- Start building platform/infrastructure teams
- First staff engineers
50-100 engineers:
- VP Engineering or CTO
- Multiple teams (product, platform, infrastructure)
- Clear career paths (IC and management tracks)
- Established processes
Career Paths
Individual Contributor (IC) Track:
- Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal
- Technical leadership without management
- Deep expertise and impact
Management Track:
- Engineer → Tech Lead → Engineering Manager → Senior Manager → Director
- People leadership and team building
- Broader organizational impact
Key: Make both paths attractive. Not everyone wants to manage.
Culture and Onboarding
Preserving Startup Culture
What to preserve:
- Speed and agility
- Mission and impact
- Autonomy and ownership
- Direct communication
- Learning and growth
What to evolve:
- More structure and process
- Clearer roles and responsibilities
- Better career paths
- More resources and support
Onboarding
First 30 days:
- Clear onboarding plan
- Assigned buddy/mentor
- First project that ships
- Culture and values introduction
- Regular check-ins
First 90 days:
- Deeper project ownership
- Team integration
- Feedback and growth plan
- Understanding of company and product
Scaling Challenges
Common Scaling Problems
1. Communication breakdown
- Solution: Regular all-hands, team meetings, documentation
2. Process chaos
- Solution: Build process gradually, don't over-engineer
3. Culture dilution
- Solution: Hire for culture fit, onboard carefully, live your values
4. Technical debt
- Solution: Balance shipping with quality, allocate time for refactoring
5. Hiring bottlenecks
- Solution: Build recruiting infrastructure, train interviewers, streamline process
When to Hire Specialists
Hire specialists when:
- Clear need — Specific problems require expertise
- Scale — Enough work to justify specialization
- Budget — Can afford higher salaries
- Team size — Generalists can't cover everything
Examples:
- DevOps engineer (20+ engineers)
- Security engineer (handling sensitive data)
- Data engineer (data-intensive product)
- Mobile engineer (mobile-first product)
Don't hire specialists too early—generalists are more valuable when you're small.