--- title: We Just Raised Funding. What Should We Do About Hiring Next? description: Just raised? Pick the one or two hires that unblock growth, write roles as marketing copy, run a fast process and get recruiting help early on. image: https://funded.club/hubfs/blog-featured-images/fc-we-just-raised-funding-now-what.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 # We Just Raised Funding. What Should We Do About Hiring Next? ![we-just-raised-funding.-what-should-we-do-about-hiring-next?](https://funded.club/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-featured-images/fc-we-just-raised-funding-now-what.png?width=1200&height=628&name=fc-we-just-raised-funding-now-what.png) [Ray Gibson](https://funded.club/blog/author/ray-gibson) Sep 29, 2026, 10:24:36 PM *Updated September 2026* After you raise, decide which one or two hires will move the business most in the next six months and hire those first, rather than filling a whole headcount plan at once. Write each role around the result you need, run a short and fast interview process, and bring in recruiting help early so hiring does not swallow your own time. Closing a Seed or Series A round feels like the finish line. It is the start of a harder test: building the team that can deliver what you promised investors. This is where many promising startups stall. Large-company hiring playbooks do not help here. Endless interview rounds lose your best candidates, bloated job descriptions put off the people you need, and a polished culture deck still leaves you with zero engineers. What you need is speed without sloppiness and precision without paralysis. Here is a four-step plan. ## Step 1: Decide who you need now, and who can wait Many founders open LinkedIn the day the money lands. Slow down for one day and ask: which roles will make the biggest difference in the next six months? - **Do** prioritise the one or two hires that unblock revenue, product or reliability. - **Do** write a one-sentence success measure for each, such as "this product manager ships the onboarding rebuild by the end of Q3". - **Do** think two stages ahead, but hire for this one. - **Don't** fill your plan with every role you might need one day. - **Don't** hire managers before there is anyone to manage. - **Don't** copy another startup's org chart, especially one that has just cut staff. Early on, generalists who can cover several areas usually beat specialists. For a fuller sequence, read [your first 10 hires after funding](https://funded.club/blog/first-10-hires-after-funding). ## Step 2: Write a job description that works A job description is marketing copy, not a legal document. Start with three things: - **Why this role matters right now.** The problem the person will own, in one or two sentences. - **What success looks like in 90 days.** Specific and measurable. - **Why your startup is different.** The mission, the product, the team and how you work. Avoid bullet lists that go on forever, buzzwords like "rockstar" and "ninja", and "fast-paced", which every company says. Avoid "competitive salary" with no range too. Tell people the range; it saves everyone time. ## Step 3: Run a fast, human hiring process You do not need six rounds and three take-home projects. You need: - **A short calibration meeting** before the search, where everyone involved agrees what "great" looks like. - **Replies to candidates within 24 hours.** Speed shows respect, and strong candidates notice it. - **A decision within 48 hours** of the final interview. Speed matters because the best people have options. A quick, clear process shows them you are serious. ## Step 4: Don't wear every hat yourself Founders who act as their own recruiters after a raise often end up with delayed launches, missed revenue targets and, now and then, a costly wrong hire. Your time is better spent on customers, product and the investors you just brought on board. Look for recruiting help that understands startup urgency and burn rate, screens for startup DNA such as a bias for action and comfort with ambiguity, and charges a fixed fee rather than a percentage of salary. For more on the options, see [fractional recruiting vs RPO vs agencies](https://funded.club/blog/fractional-recruiting-vs-rpo-vs-agencies-for-startups-2026). ## How Funded.club helps after a raise Funded.club is a fixed-fee recruiting partner for funded startups that has helped 500+ companies from Seed to Series D across North America, Europe and APAC, including Supernova.io, WeTravel and Cobalt Robotics. Supernova (YC W19) made 22 hires with Funded.club at 27 days average time to hire and saved about EUR 210k compared with percentage fees. - One dedicated recruiter per search, with first screened candidates within 7 days and 33 days on average from kick-off to hire. - Fixed fees agreed upfront by salary band: $4,900 up to $70,000, $7,500 up to $110,000, $11,500 up to $150,000 and $15,900 to $21,900 above that. See [pricing](https://funded.club/pricing). - If you do not get a shortlist of at least 3 qualified candidates within 30 days, you can claim the advance back in full. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who should a startup hire first after raising funding? The one or two people who unblock the next milestone, usually engineers who can ship product or a first salesperson who can turn early interest into revenue. Give each a clear success measure before you start. ### How many people should we hire after a Seed round? Plan from milestones, not from the size of the round. Work out what you need to prove by the next raise, hire the few roles that get you there and add more once those people are productive. ### How long should a startup hiring process take? As short as the role allows. Keep interview rounds few, reply within a day and decide within two days of the final interview. With Funded.club, the average from kick-off to hire is 33 days. ### Should founders do their own recruiting after a raise? Founders should always meet finalists and sell the vision. Sourcing, screening and scheduling take a lot of time, so many funded startups hand those steps to a recruiting partner. Worth a brief chat about your next hire? [Book a free call](https://funded.club/contact-us). [Recruitment](https://funded.club/blog/tag/recruitment) ## 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. Chamber of Commerce: 63083809    VAT (BTW): NL855084844B01 ## Contact Us - [Hiring service](https://funded.club) - [Pricing - Recruiting projects](https://funded.club/pricing) - [Find a job](https://funded.club/startupjobs) - [Our team](https://funded.club/fundedteam) - [Blog](https://funded.club/blog) - [Case studies](https://funded.club/case-studies) - [Startup resources](https://funded.club/resources) - [FAQ](https://funded.club/faq) - [Contact Us](https://funded.club/contact-us) ## Follow Us © 2019-2026 All rights reserved. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/56133290) - [Cookie policies](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/56133290/cookie-policy) - [Terms of Use](https://funded.club/terms) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@id" : "https://funded.club/#ray-gibson" }, "dateModified" : "2026-09-29", "datePublished" : "2026-09-29", "headline" : "We Just Raised Funding. 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