You’ve got an idea. Maybe it came to you in the shower, or perhaps you’ve been mulling it over for years. Now, it’s time to bring that idea to life, and you need developers to help you do it. Easy, right?

Well… not quite.

Hiring software developers for a new business is one of those things that sounds simple until you actually do it. You hop on LinkedIn, browse a few portfolios, and maybe even schedule a couple of interviews, and then it hits you: How do I know who’s actually good? And more importantly, how do I find someone who’s not just good, but the right fit for my early-stage team?

Been there. So, in this blog, I’m going to walk you through a few things I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, about hiring software developers when your business is still fresh, funds are tight, and you can’t afford to get it wrong.

1. Don’t Just Hire for Skills, Hire for Mindset

Yes, you want someone who can write clean code and ship features fast. But in a new business, technical skills are just the surface. You need developers who are:

• Comfortable with ambiguity
• Willing to wear multiple hats
• Not afraid to break (and then fix) things

I once hired a dev who was brilliant on paper, top GitHub repos, elegant code, all the right frameworks. But when it came to dealing with the constant changes of an early-stage product, they burned out fast. They were used to structure. Startups don’t come with much of that.

Lesson learned: Look for people who say things like “I love building from scratch,” or “I enjoy figuring things out as I go.” That’s gold.

2. Go Beyond the Resume

A résumé is a snapshot. What you want is a story.

Instead of just scanning for degrees and job titles, ask about:

• Projects they’re proud of
• Times they failed and learned something
• How they’d approach building your MVP

One developer I interviewed didn’t have a flashy résumé, but when I asked how they’d build a simplified version of our platform, they walked me through an entire flow—API decisions, tech stack trade-offs, and even a basic UI sketch. I hired them two days later. Never regretted it.

3. Trial Projects > Interviews

Let’s be honest: most interviews are awkward. Candidates are nervous, you’re trying to sell your dream, and neither side really knows if it’s going to work.

A short, paid trial project can change everything.

Give them a small, real-world task—maybe something you were going to build anyway. See how they think, how they communicate, and how they deal with feedback.

This doesn’t have to be a full sprint. Even a 5-hour task can reveal a lot. Bonus: It shows them you value their time.

4. Hire for Collaboration, Not Just Code

In a small team, communication is everything. You don’t want a rockstar who disappears into a cave for three weeks and re-emerges with 5,000 lines of code that no one understands.

Look for someone who:

• Documents their work
• Asks questions before diving in
• Can explain their code to a non-tech founder (like yourself, maybe?)

Ask questions like, “How would you communicate a technical challenge to the marketing team?” You’d be surprised how much that reveals.

5. Remote? Freelance? In-house? Choose What You Need Right Now

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of building your “dream team” from day one. But be honest about your current needs.

• Tight budget? Start with a freelancer or part-time contractor.
• Need speed? Bring in someone who’s built MVPs before.
• Long-term vision? Look for someone who wants to grow with you and maybe even be part of your core team down the line.

Some of the best developers I've worked with started as part-time freelancers. Today, they are thriving in their careers and taking on exciting projects.

6. Culture Fit Isn’t a Buzzword, It’s Your Survival Kit

In the early days, culture was fragile. It’s not about ping-pong tables or “fun” Slack emojis—it’s about shared values. Things like:

• Ownership
• Curiosity
• Accountability

Ask questions that get to the heart of this:

“What’s your take on fixing bugs from someone else’s code?” “How do you handle unexpected changes in a sprint?”

Their answers will tell you more than any skills test ever could.

Final Thoughts

The most important thing is to keep in mind that hiring a software developer, especially when you are building a team is not about filling out the seat it’s more about finding you a team who is more like a tribe who is willing to take your business to new heights; who believe in you and what you are building, who is ready to learn and who wants to grow with you.

It's totally okay if you don't get successful the first time. You can always try again, but the thing that matters is that you should understand your business requirements, learn from your mistakes, and remain truthful.

And hey, don't forget to have fun along the way. Creating something out of nothing is quite an achievement. With the right group of people with you, it's a whole lot more enjoyable.

On the other hand, there is always room for choosing IT staffing instead of hiring a new member for the team, so if you are looking for a better option, NanoByte Technologies has got your back.