How to build up a data team (everything I ever learned about recruiting)

A seasoned engineering leader at Spotify shares hard-won lessons on building a data team, covering every stage from employer branding and sourcing candidates to interviewing, hiring decisions, and team composition. Key insights include prioritizing programming fluency and big-picture thinking over theoretical credentials, the importance of a well-structured interview process to impress senior candidates, how to tailor your pitch to each candidate's background, and the risks of monoculture in early-stage teams. The post also touches on diversity math and the value of letting candidates meet their future teammates before accepting an offer.