Use a Big Tech hiring process, get a Big Tech engineer.

I’ve seen this go wrong up close – and it’s painful. The interview loop promises structure, clear specs, mature infra… then the engineer joins a 6–10 person startup where none of that exists. Misalignment from day one.

Big-company loops select great operators: people who can execute inside a well-defined machine. Early-stage startups need builders: people who create the machine while the car is already moving.

When you copy FAANG-style hiring, you unintentionally optimise for the wrong game:

• Algo and “scale” system design rounds instead of real 0→1 product problems.

• Panels and debriefs that create noise, politics, and groupthink.

• Long take‑homes that filter for free time, not impact.

Result: you hire someone who aces the loop, then freezes when there’s no Jira board, no PM writing specs, and no “platform team” to blame.

If you’re early-stage, measure different things:

• Comfort with ambiguity and changing priorities.

• Willingness to do “non‑engineering” work.

• Bias for speed over perfection.

• Self-direction and initiative.

Loved this article from Gregor Ojstersek and Neil Matthams because it finally says the quiet part out loud: early-stage hiring is a different sport, and most founders are playing with the wrong rulebook.