1. Talent Matters in Start-Ups
Hiring in early-stage companies isn’t just about filling seats. It’s about assembling a small team of people who deliver exponential value.
Shiv shared that, in a McKinsey report, high performers in complex roles are up to 800% more productive than their peers.
These are the people who thrive on challenge, ambiguity, and rapid change.
But what actually attracts them to early-stage companies? Shiv frames it as a give and get Venn diagram:
The Give: Challenging work, high pace, problem-solving, ambiguity and heavy workload.
The Get: Career acceleration, growth opportunities, a clear mission and the chance to work alongside other exceptional people.
These environments are not for everyone. But for the right talent, the combination of challenge and opportunity is irresistible.
2. How to Assess for High Performance
Everyone claims to love fast-paced environments, but Shiv’s experience shows the real signals are often missed if you’re just scanning for buzzwords.
CV signals can be misleading. Achievement in one area doesn’t always translate to success in a startup.
Sometimes, grit and resourcefulness in a tough environment are better predictors than hitting easy targets or following a set playbook. Look for evidence of:
- Rate of learning: Rapid growth, pattern of achievement and hunger to learn
- Growth mentality: Candidates who actively seek out and respond to feedback (even when negative)
- Resilience: Those who’ve thrived in ambiguous, under-resourced settings
Hiring in this way can be tough. At Multiverse, it took a top-of-funnel of 60,000 candidates to make 400 hires.
It's critical to quickly identify what great looks like for your business as early as possible.
3. Challenging Interview Processes
Shiv believes your interview process should mirror the realities of the job.
Meaning it should be tough, multi-layered and designed to truly test for what matters.
Go Deep: Build an interview process that goes several layers deep to test for critical thinking, adaptability and resilience under pressure. Not just technical skills.
Challenge & Sell: The best candidates actually appreciate being pushed. Shiv has often received positive feedback for the experience of difficult interviews. She also warns, this approach isn’t for everyone and can be off-putting for those who aren’t a fit.
Balance rigour with candidate experience.
Bookending tough stages with positivity and clear communication can protect your employer brand and ensure candidates leave with a positive impression.
4. Hiring for Different Stages of Growth
What works at seed stage doesn’t always work at Series C. Shiv describes how key competencies shift as your company matures.
Here's how coachability might mean different things:
Start-Up: it means curiosity, adaptability and the drive to build new playbooks from scratch.
Scale-Up: It’s about applying learnings, making incremental improvements and thriving within clearer structures.
One hire can fundamentally shift your team’s trajectory. Don’t compromise on “great” versus “good.”