This is the irony - The unicorn candidate (IMO) is a myth. I can assure you (we) faangers wear our pants one leg at a time and dont just "jump" into it :) Having hired at startups - hiring for passion, curiosity and desire has gone a long way rather than trying to act all big. Now key here is to be honest with yourself and the candidate (TC) that your pay is "mediocre" and X,Y,Z are going to be the mutual benefits. Best case scenario company and TC grow together. Otherwise TC learns a lot and is ready for their next role when ever the market bounces and I am glad to be the guy who helped you launch rather than tried to hold you back with BS. Ive literally said that and I mean it.
