Hiring Made Human: Hiring When You’re a Start-Up

 

The challenges of hiring for a startup have become more pronounced these days than ever. With technological advancements and evolving market demands, startups must be agile and strategic in their hiring practices to ensure success. According to some studies, nearly 90 percent of startups fail, with a significant factor being the inability to attract and retain top talent. 

How do startups effectively hire the right people to thrive? How can startups navigate the complex hiring landscape to find the talent they need to succeed?

For a new episode of Apple One, a podcast by The ActOne Group, host Brett Howroyd kicks off an episode as part of the “Hiring Made Human” series, where he explores the intricacies of hiring practices, particularly within startup companies. He was joined by Jasmine Nachtigall-Fournier and Matthew Fournier, co-founders of GovInvest. Together, they share their experiences and strategies for hiring the right talent in a startup environment.

Some of their main points discussed in their interview included:

  • The differences in specialized and general hiring approaches, and Jasmine and Matthew discuss the different methods used to hire specialized roles like actuaries versus more general roles such as account executives.
  • Emphasis on the need for new hires to not only have the right skills, but also to align with the company’s vision and culture.
  • Unique challenges of hiring while bootstrapping a company, particularly for hardware-intensive projects like Puppy Wash.

Jasmine Natchigill-Fournier is the co-founder and president of GovInvest. She was nominated for the LA Times Inspirational Women Awards in 2022 and 2023 and recently inducted into Who’s Who of America. Natchigill-Fournier holds a degree from Stanford University and has been instrumental in driving GovInvest’s mission to help governments solve fiscal challenges.

Matthew Fournier is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of GovInvest and Puppy Wash. He played a key role in the early stages of OpenGov, which later became a successful unicorn company. Fournier’s diverse background includes extensive experience in government data and technology.

Article by Alexandra Simon.

Recent Episodes

Many professionals reach a moment when the title, the salary, and the climb aren’t enough anymore. They start looking for work that feels meaningful — work that reflects who they are and what they want their lives to stand for. And with millions of Americans stepping out to build businesses of their own in…

Many of us know the feeling: you rack up accomplishments, hit the milestones you once dreamed of, and still there’s a quiet voice asking, “Am I really good enough?” Imposter syndrome has a way of showing up even in our strongest moments, often right when we’re stepping into new opportunities or chapters of growth. And…

More and more, the creative journey looks less like a straight line and more like a series of pivots, setbacks, and surprising new opportunities. As layoffs, industry shifts, and unpredictable career turns reshape what a “typical” creative path looks like, many professionals are being pushed to turn uncertainty into momentum. Many are asking how to…