Been hiring for myself for the first time,
and the biggest challenge so far has been identifying seniority.
I recently saw a post on Ln, and wanted to bring it to you as a visual.
Coz it made pretty good sense.
As start of a fresh business, what you should be looking for folks who are coachable and adaptable. Folks who can climb the levels as per below:
Level 1: Here’s the problem, the solution, and how to implement it.
Level 2: Here’s the problem and the solution. Figure out how to implement it.
Level 3: Here’s the problem. Figure out the solution.
Level 4: Here’s a list of problems. Identify the most impactful one to solve.
Level 5: Find all the problems and determine which are worth solving.
Level 6: Predict future problems and create systems to prevent them.
Bonus Level: You manufacture the problems! (JK)
You want people who are problem solvers at their core. But want a path set out for them.
Because no matter how ‘good’ your interview process is, you will probably fail hiring the first few times around - until you are too big to fail a lot.
I still believe, the best way to hire is to be patient. Hire someone, test em out, then see if they can grow with you or not.
But this process is time consuming, time that shortens up, as you grow with the company.
<img src="https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--0JEcD4UQ--/f_auto/v1736833745/ugc/content_d521e2dc-f0cb-46ac-a70b-4424022f4787" alt="Single Page on New Colors">

Star

Knowledge by Execution - Breaking Down Tech for the Mango Man (Aam Aadmi/Regular Person) - https://www.sknexus.org/

SK NEXUS

Hiring for the first time can be challenging, especially when identifying seniority levels. The key is to look for adaptable and coachable individuals who can tackle various levels of problems, ranging from implementing given solutions to predicting and preventing future issues. Patience and careful testing during the hiring process are crucial as you grow with your company.

You get paid based on the level of abstraction you can work at.

Level 5 is either a code audit specialist or an app tester

Level 6 thinking as an software architect makes me think about Barry O’ Reilly’s Residuality Theory, where future problems are automatically covered by thinking ahead.
Definitely an interesting concept!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRZLFWH1fY" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRZLFWH1fY</a>
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050920305585" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050920305585</a>

Nice, I believe that predicting future problems starts with excellent planning. Then, if and when a problem arises, finding solutions and implementing them becomes much easier, as most issues will have been prevented from occurring in the first place.

<img src="https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--ZCgH9Z1_--/f_auto/v1737064506/ugc/content_fddcfe21-7ea8-4332-a115-1402daca0e92" alt="Gemini_Generated_Image_wuw5hrwuw5hrwuw5">
Just put them, 2 at a time, in a cage with some weapons, see which one comes out, and that’s the most senior one.

Interesting take. I like it! However, the chart should have been upside down, right? By convention, we refer to the ones doing work at the highest level/ operating at the peak/ top of the pyramid, so that chart threw me off for half a second.