
Hiring for Lean Startups: The First Few Hires - miraj
http://startupnorth.ca/2012/01/25/hiring-for-lean-startups-the-first-few-hires/?__lsa=be3856b2
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kls
_Prioritize UX over development_

Most of the advice is pretty solid but I don't agree with this one. Most of
the companies succeeding today are doing so because they are building
platforms. The web is migrating to platforms and not having that core concept
embedded into the DNA of a company is a sure recipe to get systems that will
be coded for purpose, non-extensible and a maintenance nightmare when it is
time to grow it.

There are arguments for both sides, but if I had to choose between exceptional
development talent and freelancing design or exceptional design talent and
freelancing architecture, I would choose the development talent every time.
That being said, there are some generalist that are great at both. I agree
with the hire a generalist advice, but try to get a generalist that has both
design and development experience. In my experience every company that I have
seen that has hired the wrong development person, has been a technology
disaster. I have repaired many of them and it takes years to undo all the
technical debt that is leveraged on, when the seed systems are poorly
designed. Fixing poor design is much easier as it is only a front end concern.
Poor development infects every aspect of the system.

