Deconstructor of Fun 317. Inside the Hiring Playbook of Top-Performing Startups
Jan 5, 2026
In this episode, Joe Burridge, Head of Talent at Play Ventures, and Miki Blasko, Head of Talent at Deconstructor of Fun, delve into the strategic importance of hiring in startups. They discuss how founders often underestimate the effort required and the importance of selling roles to attract top talent. The duo explores the tension between culture and competence, revealing what defines a successful hire. They also highlight the red flags of hiring from big corporations and the need for structured processes to avoid costly mistakes in talent acquisition.
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You Often Don’t Know Your Own Culture
- Most founders are unaware of their true culture because many cultural behaviors are unconscious.
- Defining clear values or measuring employee feedback helps translate vague culture into hiring criteria.
Document Values And Measure Them
- Do write down your core values and communicate them across hiring, product and decision-making.
- Do use simple surveys to measure what employees love and dislike to iterate culture.
Look For Frustration And Bias For Action
- Do hire people who are visibly frustrated by slow corporate processes and show bias for action.
- Do prefer hires who can ideate, be proactive, and move from chaos toward process in startups.
