For a New York seed-stage startup hiring its first engineers, Recruiting from Scratch is the best fit: New York is its largest market, it recruits only engineers, it works on contingency with no retainer, and half its candidates reach an offer within 29 days of a first client interview. Decagon has hired an agent software engineer in New York through it. For a CTO search, a retained firm is the better route.
Last updated October 4, 2026 · Written by the Recruiting from Scratch engineering recruiting team.
Hiring your first engineers in New York? 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 what we scored. A New York seed company competes for engineers against finance and large enterprise employers, usually with no recruiter on staff:
We rank ourselves first on cash fit and NYC depth, and say below where another option wins.
| # | Firm | Best for | Stages | Roles | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruiting from Scratch | First engineers at a NYC seed startup | Seed–Series C | Founding, full-stack, AI/ML, forward-deployed | Contingency, replacement guarantee |
| 2 | Dover | Founders who run the process themselves | Pre-seed–Series A | Any role you source yourself | Software plus optional services |
| 3 | Wellfound | Open applications from startup-minded candidates | Pre-seed–Series B | Any role | Job marketplace |
| 4 | Paraform | Posting a role to many independent recruiters | Seed and later | Mixed | Marketplace of independent recruiters |
| 5 | Hunt Club | Referral-based senior hires | Venture-backed and growth | Senior and leadership | Search fee |
Best for: New York founders who need their first engineers and want to pay nothing until someone starts.
Strengths: engineering-only recruiters, New York as our largest market, a shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates and 300+ placements. We've placed an agent software engineer in New York at Decagon.
Limitations: engineering roles only. We don't run C-suite search or 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 scheduling.
Best for: posting a role where startup-minded candidates apply directly.
Limitations: you screen every applicant, and many experienced New York engineers aren't browsing boards.
Best for: companies that want many independent recruiters working one role.
Strengths: breadth, with several recruiters on one 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.
Limitations: built for senior searches, not for your first generalist engineers.
For the very first three hires, read how to hire at pre-seed.
Decagon has hired an agent software engineer in New York through Recruiting from Scratch. The pattern we'd carry to a seed founder is a one-page brief that names the product surface, the stack, the salary band and the equity range, and feedback within a day of each shortlist.
Ask every agency four questions before you sign:
Benchmark pay with Carta's compensation data.
For engineering hires, Recruiting from Scratch: New York is its largest market, with contingency pricing and half of candidates reaching an offer within 29 days of a first client interview.
Start with your network, write a clear one-page brief and use a contingency firm when referrals run out.
Contingency firms charge a percentage of first-year base salary, paid only when a candidate joins. Retained firms charge part upfront.
Not always, but in-person time helps early product work. State your expectations in the role spec.
On cash, rarely. Compete on ownership, scope and equity, and be transparent about all three.
Related: Best Recruiting Firms for Series A Startups in New York · Best Recruiting Firms for Seed-Stage Startups in San Francisco · Best Technical Recruiting Firms in New York City for Startups, by Stage and Vertical
Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 New York 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.
