--- title: Who to hire first in a web3 infrastructure startup description: Hire protocol engineers first, then a security engineer before scale and a devrel engineer as your first go-to-market hire. A web3 infrastructure plan. image: https://funded.club/hubfs/og_image_funded.png --- [![Primary\_logo](https://funded.club/hubfs/Primary_logo.svg)](https://funded.club/) [Book a call](https://funded.club/contact-us) - [Hire](https://funded.club) - [Pricing](https://funded.club/pricing) - [Find a job](https://funded.club/startupjobs) - [Case Studies](https://funded.club/case-studies) - [Locally](https://funded.club/case-studies/locally) - [Supernova](https://funded.club/case-studies/supernova) - [Isolocity](https://funded.club/case-studies/isolocity) - [WeTravel](https://funded.club/case-studies/wetravel) - [Digital Science](https://funded.club/case-studies/digital-science) - [Blog](https://funded.club/blog-results) - [Resources](https://funded.club/resources) - [Predict success](https://signup.predict.ventures/) - [Growth Planner](https://funded.club/growth-planner) - [Glossary](https://funded.club/glossary) - [FAQ](https://funded.club/faq) - [Contact us](https://funded.club/contact-us) [Book a call](https://funded.club/contact-us) - Engagement options: - [Hiring solutions](https://funded.club) - [Pay-as-you-go](https://funded.club/pricing) - Membership plan # Who to hire first in a web3 infrastructure startup [Ray Gibson](https://funded.club/blog/author/ray-gibson) Nov 4, 2026, 2:37:15 PM *Updated November 2026* A web3 infrastructure startup should usually hire protocol engineers first, then a security engineer before the product carries real value, then a developer relations engineer as the first go-to-market hire. A legal and compliance owner, often outside counsel at first, should be named early enough to shape decisions on tokens and custody. Two things set crypto infrastructure apart. One exploit or leaked signing key can end the company, so the security mindset has to be hired before scale. And your buyers are developers who judge you through docs and code, so the first person facing the market should write code too. ## Hire the security mindset before you hire for scale In most software startups, security hires follow the first enterprise customers. In crypto infrastructure the order is reversed, because transactions are irreversible and attackers are paid directly by what they take. For a node or RPC company the exposure includes signing keys, API credentials and open-source dependencies, not only smart contracts. WHO OWNS WHAT (SUGGESTED) Security work at Seed stage Task Core engineers Security engineer External auditor Threat model for each new feature Helps Leads No Signing keys and secrets management Helps Leads No Writing the audit scope Helps Leads No Reviewing a fixed release Helps Helps Leads Fixing and retesting findings Leads Reviews Reviews Monitoring and incident response Helps Leads No An audit is an outside firm reviewing a fixed version of your code at one point in time. It does not watch production or rotate keys. Your security engineer writes the audit scope, decides which findings block a release and owns everything after deploy. See our guide to [hiring a security engineer](https://funded.club/blog/hire-security-engineer-startup) and our [cybersecurity hiring playbook](https://funded.club/blog/hiring-in-cybersecurity-startups). ## Protocol and smart contract engineers: what to test for ### Protocol and core engineers Look for engineers who have run nodes on more than one chain. Rust or Go is common, but the stronger signal is comfort with consensus, peer-to-peer networking and the operational pain of network upgrades. Ask how they would roll an upgrade across a fleet of nodes without dropping requests. ### Smart contract engineers Hire these only if you ship contracts. When you do, hand candidates a short contract with a planted flaw, and ask how they test code that may be impossible to change once deployed. Be wary of loyalty to a single chain, since your customers build on many. ## Your first go-to-market hire writes code Developers rarely take a sales call before their first request against your API. They find you through documentation and forums, and a developer relations engineer meets them there and carries their bug reports back to the core team. THE DEVELOPER PATH A DEVREL HIRE OWNS (ILLUSTRATIVE) STEP 1 Finds you Docs, repos, talks STEP 2 First call Quickstart works first time STEP 3 Integrates Sample apps, forum answers STEP 4 Hits a limit Rate limits or dedicated nodes STEP 5 Talks to sales Already convinced Steps 1 to 4 belong to devrel. Sales enters at step 5. Hire someone who has shipped production code and enjoys explaining it in public, because a community manager cannot fix a broken quickstart. A [solutions engineer](https://funded.club/blog/hire-solutions-engineer-startup) follows once paying teams ask for service levels. ## Legal, compliance and token compensation Name an owner for legal and compliance from the start, even if that is outside counsel with crypto experience plus a founder who follows up. The questions come early: whether you will issue a token, whether you touch custody, how you screen for sanctions, and how rules such as MiCA in the EU or US securities law apply. An in-house lead usually follows once a token or regulated customers appear. Check the specifics with your lawyer. Some candidates expect token grants, while many engineers from large tech companies prefer equity. Tokens bring lockups, uncertain liquidity and tax treatment that varies by country, so agree the structure with a lawyer and explain it in writing. Plain, factual job adverts attract engineers who stay through a quiet market. ## Worked example: a Seed-stage node infrastructure tooling company Two technical founders and three engineers run hosted RPC endpoints and node tooling across several chains. Free-tier usage is growing and a few protocol teams want dedicated nodes. MONTHS 0 TO 2 Senior protocol engineer (Rust or Go) Takes network upgrades and node operations off the founders. MONTHS 2 TO 4 Security engineer Key management and an incident runbook before dedicated nodes go live. MONTHS 4 TO 6 Developer relations engineer Turns free-tier usage into integrations. MONTHS 6 TO 9 Site reliability engineer Uptime is the product, so founders stop carrying the pager. MONTHS 9 TO 12 Legal and compliance owner Buyers now ask about sanctions screening and data handling. MONTHS 12 TO 15 Solutions engineer Scopes dedicated-node deals. MONTHS 15 TO 18 First account executive Inbound from protocol teams needs a closer. Illustrative, swap in your own timings. Outside counsel from month 0. The security engineer arrives before the first dedicated-node customer, because that is when a leaked key becomes existential. There is no marketer in the first 18 months, since devrel covers the top of the funnel. ## Where Funded.club fits We are a fixed-fee recruiting partner for funded startups across North America, Europe and APAC, and since 2019 we have helped 500+ startups from Seed to Series D. One dedicated recruiter runs each search end to end, with first screened candidates within 7 days and 33 days on average from kick-off to hire. We agree a low fixed fee upfront, averaging 6 to 9% of salary against the 20 to 25% typical of contingency recruiters. For an illustrative security engineer on $145,000, the fee is $11,500. Part is an advance at the start of the search and the balance when the candidate accepts, and if we do not deliver a shortlist of at least 3 qualified candidates within 30 days, you can claim the advance back in full. See our [pricing page](https://funded.club/pricing), or [see all our sector hiring playbooks](https://funded.club/blog/startup-hiring-by-industry). ## Frequently asked questions ### Who should a web3 infrastructure startup hire first? Usually a senior protocol engineer, then a security engineer before the product handles real value, then a developer relations engineer, with outside counsel on legal questions. ### Do we need an in-house security engineer if we already pay for audits? In most cases, yes. An audit reviews fixed code at one point in time, while an in-house security engineer owns key management, monitoring and incident response. ### Should a crypto startup offer tokens or equity to early hires? It depends on whether you have or plan a token. Token grants raise vesting, liquidity and tax questions that vary by country, so agree the structure with your lawyer first. ### When should a crypto infrastructure company hire its first salesperson? Once paying teams ask for service levels or procurement reviews. Before that, devrel does more for growth. Worth a brief chat about your next hire? [Book a free call](https://funded.club/contact-us). ## Hiring after a funding round? First candidates in 7 days. Fixed-fee, no commission. [See pricing](https://funded.club/pricing) [Book a free call](https://funded.club/contact-us) [Try the Growth Planner](https://funded.club/growth-planner) [![Primary\_logo](https://funded.club/hubfs/funded-images2022/Primary_logo.svg)](https://funded.club) © 2019-2026 Funded.club B.V. All Rights Reserved. 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