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Hiring & Team

Most hiring problems start before the interview

Bad interviews are often symptoms of unclear hiring judgment. The real work begins before the first candidate enters the process.

Most hiring problems start before the interview

The first ten hires decide everything. Most founders get them wrong.

Your first ten hires don’t just build the product — they set the ceiling on every hire that follows. Here’s how to think about them before you start writing job descriptions.

The first ten hires decide everything. Most founders get them wrong.

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Founder Notes — Essays on Product, Fundraising, Hiring, and Building a Startup

Founder Notes is an independent publication for early-stage founders and operators. Long-form thinking on product strategy, fundraising, hiring, and the quieter parts of leadership — written from inside the work, not above it. One carefully edited essay, every Sunday. Browse the full archive.

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About the Editor

Founder Notes editor

Nathan Baugh

Operator. Investor. Writer.

I write about building, scaling, and leading companies. Previously founded an enterprise SaaS company and invested in early-stage startups.

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One founder essay. Every Sunday.

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Long-form thinking on the decisions that actually shape a company — from the first hire to the Series A and everything that breaks along the way.

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