For a seed-stage startup hiring its first engineers, Recruiting from Scratch is the best fit: it recruits only engineers, works on contingency with no retainer or upfront cost, and half its candidates reach an offer within 29 days of their first interview. Teams like Mercor, Cinder and Decagon have hired through it. If your first hire is a CTO rather than an engineer, a retained search firm is the better route.
Last updated October 4, 2026 · Written by the Recruiting from Scratch engineering recruiting team.
Hiring your first engineers after a seed round? Recruiting from Scratch sends 3–5 qualified engineers, on contingency. Book a 15-minute call → or Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers →
Recruiting from Scratch publishes this list and ranks itself first, so here is exactly what we scored. Seed is different from every later stage, so the weights are too:
We rank ourselves first on cash fit and engineering depth, and say below where another option is the better pick.
| # | Firm | Best for | Stages | Roles | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruiting from Scratch | First 10 engineers at a seed startup | Seed–Series C | Founding, full-stack, AI/ML, forward-deployed | Contingency, replacement guarantee |
| 2 | Dover | Founders who want to run the process themselves | Pre-seed–Series A | Any role you source yourself | Software plus optional services |
| 3 | Y Combinator's Work at a Startup | YC companies sourcing directly | Pre-seed–Seed | Engineers who want startups | Job board |
| 4 | Wellfound | Open applications from startup-minded candidates | Pre-seed–Series B | Any role | Job marketplace |
| 5 | Paraform | Posting a role to many independent recruiters | Seed and later | Mixed | Marketplace of independent recruiters |
| 6 | Hunt Club | Referral-based senior hires | Venture-backed and growth | Senior and leadership | Search fee |
Best for: seed-stage founders who need their first engineers and want to pay nothing until someone starts.
Strengths: engineering-only recruiters, a shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates and 300+ placements. We've placed backend and machine-learning engineers at Mercor and forward-deployed engineers at Cinder.
Limitations: engineering roles only. We don't run C-suite search, and we don't recruit for sales, design or operations.
Best for: a founder with time to own sourcing, screening and closing.
Strengths: recruiting software with sourcing tools, plus optional recruiting services.
Limitations: the founder still does most of the selling and the calendar work.
Best for: YC companies recruiting from a pool already interested in startups. Limitations: inbound only, with no outreach to engineers who aren't looking.
Best for: posting a role where startup-minded candidates apply directly. Limitations: you screen every applicant, and the best engineers often aren't browsing.
Best for: companies that want many independent recruiters working one role.
Strengths: breadth, with several recruiters on a single opening.
Limitations: quality and engineering depth vary by recruiter, and you manage the volume.
Best for: a referral-network search for a senior or leadership hire.
Strengths: referrals surface people who aren't on the market.
Limitations: built for senior searches, not for your first generalist engineers.
At seed the founder is the hiring manager, closer and interviewer, so the process must fit a product schedule. A workable sequence:
Most of the candidate's decision at seed is equity, so be ready to explain it. Our guide to what equity to offer a founding engineer covers ranges and how to talk about dilution, and Carta's data is a useful benchmark source.
Ask every agency four questions before you sign anything:
If your first hire is the technical co-founder or a founding engineer who will become head of engineering, read how to hire your first engineer fast. For the very first three, see how to hire at pre-seed.
For engineering hires, Recruiting from Scratch: contingency with no retainer and 300+ placements, with half of candidates reaching an offer within 29 days of a first interview. For a CTO search, a retained firm.
Pay one when your network runs dry and the cost of an empty seat is higher than the fee. On contingency, you pay a percentage of first-year base salary only when someone joins.
Once you have a funded role, a clear spec and a founder who can give feedback within a day. Before that, a firm has nothing to calibrate against.
Most seed teams hire a handful in the first year, in sequence, so each hire raises the bar for the next.
A good one explains your traction and equity honestly, but the founder pitch still matters most.
Related: How to Build Your First Engineering Team After a Seed Round · Best Recruiting Firms for Seed-Stage Startups in San Francisco · Best Recruiting Firms for Seed-Stage Startups in New York
Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 engineers who fit your stage, stack and equity range, on contingency with a replacement guarantee.
Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers → or Book a 15-minute call →
Looking for a role at an early-stage startup instead? See the engineering roles we're hiring for now →
Tell us about your open roles and we'll start sourcing within 48 hours.
