How to Hire a Badass Developer Team for Your Startup

Yes, we all want the best tech team we can afford when starting a new business, but do they have panache, and something unconventional? Hiring the right developer team is crucial for the success of any startup. As you start on the anxiety inducing journey of starting your next big venture, understanding the costs, types of developers needs, and how to approach the hiring process can ensure you don’t have just a good tech team, but a ‘badass’ team of next level developers who can set the foundation for your company’s long-term future! 

Understanding Developer Costs

The cost of hiring a developer varies significantly based on their expertise, location, and the technologies they specialize in. Here are some average salary ranges for different types of developers:

• Frontend Developers: $60,000 - $120,000 per year
• Backend Developers: $70,000 - $150,000 per year
• Full Stack Developers: $80,000 - $160,000 per year
• Mobile Developers: $70,000 - $130,000 per year
• DevOps Engineers: $80,000 - $140,000 per year

These figures can vary widely based on geographical location, with developers in tech hubs like San Francisco or New York often commanding higher salaries compared to those in smaller cities. These issues are less important as more and more teams go global with remote work and international options that look for talent in low-cost areas, but beware, the more geographically dispersed your team is, the more issues of accountability and team collaboration can arise. 

Types of Developers Your Startup Needs

The type of developers you need will depend on your startup's product and goals. Here are some key roles to consider:

• Frontend Developers: Essential for creating the user interface and ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Backend Developers: Handle server-side logic, database management, and application performance.
• Full Stack Developers: Versatile and can work on both frontend and backend, which is beneficial for small teams.
• Mobile Developers: If your product is an app, hiring someone with expertise in iOS or Android development is crucial.
• DevOps Engineers: Streamline deployment processes and manage infrastructure, which is vital as you scale.

The Importance of Technical Interviews

When hiring developers, traditional interview techniques may not suffice. A technical interview should focus on practical skills rather than educational background or job history. Consider these approaches:

Coding Challenges: Use platforms like HackerRank or LeetCode to assess problem-solving abilities.

Pair Programming: Collaborate on a small project or task to see how candidates think and work in real-time.

Portfolio Review: Evaluate previous projects to gauge their experience and style.

Technical interviews can be done in a variety of ways including language specific, algorithm, framework-specific, design system interviews and more. The most common is algorithm based interviews. For better or worse, this is the default interview when people talk about interviewing as a software engineer at a large tech company. These type of interviews are most common at the FAANG companies and there is a ton of literature on these.

Skills-based hiring allows you to find talent that may not have a traditional background but possesses the necessary skills to contribute effectively.

Balancing Budget, Time, and Labor

In the startup world, every decision counts, especially when it comes to hiring. Balancing your budget, time, and labor is a constant challenge:

Budget: Developers are often among the highest-paid employees. Ensure you have a clear understanding of your financial limits and plan for salary increases as your startup grows.

Time: The hiring process can be time-consuming. Create a structured timeline for interviews and onboarding to avoid delays in product development.

Labor: The right team will significantly impact your startup’s trajectory. Invest time in finding developers who align with your vision and culture.

In literally every type of modern business, solidifying a tech team of well matched developer talent is one of the most important first steps. 

Conclusion

Developing a core team of tech talent often means approaching talent acquisition in unconventional ways, including sourcing passive job seekers and those without formal education, who possess sought after skills. Having someone to advise or contribute to your recruitment team that has tech experience is a must, as technical interviews and on-site tests will determine many key hires. But there are better ways! Remember, recruitment is never easy, but it could be easier! 

Ready to revolutionize your hiring? Need assistance with a technical interview? Or not sure exactly what type of tech talent your next startup needs? Sign up for a free trial of Tscout today and experience the future of hiring. 

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