Essays/linkedin/ the first hire that matters
The first non‑technical hire in a deep‑tech startup is always a gamble—and it’s rarely who you think.
Our instinct is to find another version of ourselves. Yet your company’s first growth lever is not another scientist, it’s someone who can translate what you’ve built into value for someone else. That might be a product manager, a community builder, or a customer success pioneer.
The person who joined my team at that stage wasn’t the best coder—she was the best listener. She could sit with customers, capture nuance, and bring it back to the lab. That changed our trajectory.
What role was your first non‑research hire? Regrets or wins?
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Aquiles Carattino
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