Your Next Tech Startup
Your Next Tech Startup
Podcast Description
Hiring is tough — software engineers hate job searching, hiring managers are stretched thin, and interviews? They suck for everyone. But finding the right people is critical for building a great startup.
This podcast is for software engineers navigating startup hiring. We dive into real stories from startup leaders, uncover what makes a great (or terrible) hiring process, and explore how to make finding and landing startup jobs suck less.
Each episode features a founder, hiring manager, or software engineer sharing their journey, hiring philosophy, and lessons learned. We’ll also break down hiring pain points—job descriptions, resumes, interviews, negotiation, culture screening, and more. Expect real talk, expert insights, and the occasional resume roast.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on the challenges and nuances of hiring in tech startups, with episodes covering topics like effective job descriptions, creative interview techniques, and candidate negotiation tactics. For example, past episodes include interviews with industry leaders discussing the importance of empathy in technical interviews and the characteristics essential for thriving in early-stage startups.
Hiring is tough — software engineers hate job searching, hiring managers are stretched thin, and interviews? They suck for everyone. But finding the right people is critical for building a great startup.
This podcast is for software engineers navigating startup hiring. We dive into real stories from startup leaders, uncover what makes a great (or terrible) hiring process, and explore how to make finding and landing startup jobs suck less.
Each episode features a founder, hiring manager, or software engineer sharing their journey, hiring philosophy, and lessons learned. We’ll also break down hiring pain points—job descriptions, resumes, interviews, negotiation, culture screening, and more. Expect real talk, expert insights, and the occasional resume roast.
In this episode, Isabel Rasmussen and Maher Hanafi discuss the intricacies of the interview process, focusing on the importance of candidate questions and the dynamics of bi-directional interviews. Maher shares insights from his extensive experience in engineering leadership, emphasizing the need for candidates to research their interviewers and the company culture. They explore how to handle sensitive topics like layoffs and the significance of maintaining a positive energy during interviews. The discussion also touches on the importance of aligning management philosophies and the flexibility required in startup hiring.
Host: Isabel Rasmussen https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelrasmussen/
Guest: Maher Hanafi https://www.linkedin.com/in/maherhanafi/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Interview Dynamics
00:42 Understanding the Role of Candidates
02:37 The Importance of Candidate Questions
06:37 Leveraging AI in Interview Preparation
09:50 Memorable Candidate Interactions
11:52 Assessing Work Environment Fit
12:28 Asking Difficult Questions
15:48 Navigating Layoff Conversations
17:49 Handling Glassdoor Feedback
21:26 The Energy of Interviews
26:06 Communication Skills and Candidate Behavior
28:20 Red Flags in People Management Interviews
33:15 Aligning Management Philosophies
38:13 Hiring for Flexibility in Startups
Isabel is a Fractional Head of Technical Recruitment who works directly with engineering leaders to hire top talent — from Senior Software Engineers to Directors of Engineering. With over a decade of experience recruiting for high-growth startups, she brings a strategic, hands-on approach to scaling technical teams that thrive in fast-paced environments.
Isabel is also the host of Your Next Tech Startup, a weekly podcast where she interviews founders, engineering leaders, and software engineers about what it really takes to build and grow teams in the startup world.
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournexttechstartup 📺
🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/exiBw46n 🎧
🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eYsCN4y4🍎
❤️ iHeartRadio: https://shorturl.at/NI3sq❤️
Music by: https://www.bensound.com
Artist: Marcus P.
License code: 4YKVHGTNVRLVH3BV
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