Hiring at a Startup: Hire Only When Necessary—and Do the Job Yourself First
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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above
English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2021-10-04. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文
Reading guide
Robin advises taking great care with every hire. Before a small startup hires someone, ideally you or a team member should have done that job personally for a while. Do not hire unless you really need to: having done the work yourself, you will understand its requirements and the objectives the person must achieve.
Key points
- Be careful with every hire.
- Before hiring, you or a team member should first have done the job.
- Doing the work clarifies the role’s requirements and objectives.
Full text — English translation
These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.
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