For a San Francisco seed-stage startup hiring its first engineers, Recruiting from Scratch is the best fit: it recruits only engineers, the SF Bay Area is its second-largest market, it works on contingency with no retainer, and half its candidates reach an offer within 29 days of a first client interview. Cinder and Mercor have hired engineers 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 San Francisco? 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. A San Francisco seed company hires into one of the most contested engineering markets in the world, so the weights reflect that:
We rank ourselves first on cash fit and engineering depth, and say below where another option wins.
| # | Firm | Best for | Stages | Roles | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruiting from Scratch | First engineers at a SF seed startup | Seed–Series C | Founding, full-stack, AI/ML, forward-deployed | Contingency, replacement guarantee |
| 2 | Y Combinator's Work at a Startup | YC companies sourcing directly | Pre-seed–Seed | Engineers who want startups | Job board |
| 3 | Dover | Founders who run the process themselves | Pre-seed–Series A | Any role you source yourself | Software plus optional services |
| 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: San Francisco 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 forward-deployed engineers at Cinder and backend and machine-learning engineers at Mercor.
Limitations: engineering roles only. We don't run C-suite search or recruit for sales, design or operations.
Best for: YC companies recruiting from a pool already interested in startups.
Strengths: free to use and aimed at early-stage candidates.
Limitations: inbound only, and you screen every applicant.
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: the strongest engineers in San Francisco often aren't browsing job boards.
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.
Limitations: built for senior searches, not for your first generalist engineers.
For the very first three hires, read how to hire at pre-seed.
Cinder has hired forward-deployed engineers and senior full-stack engineers through Recruiting from Scratch, and Mercor has hired backend and machine-learning engineers. The common pattern we recommend to a seed founder is a one-page brief that names the product surface the engineer will own, the stack, the salary band and the equity range, plus feedback within a day of every shortlist.
Ask every agency four questions before you sign anything:
Compare salary bands with Carta's compensation data, and explain equity plainly; our guide to what equity to offer a founding engineer covers it.
For engineering hires, Recruiting from Scratch: contingency with no retainer, 300+ placements, and half of candidates reaching an offer within 29 days of a first client interview. The SF Bay Area is its second-largest market.
Start with your own network, write a one-page brief with the stack, salary band and equity, and bring in a contingency firm when referrals run dry.
Not always. When the founder has the time and a strong network, no. When an empty seat costs more than the fee, a contingency firm is cheap insurance, because you pay only on hire.
Contingency firms charge a percentage of first-year base salary, paid only when a candidate joins. Retained firms charge part of the fee upfront, which rarely suits seed.
Decide by the work. Early product work often benefits from in-person time, so state your in-office expectations in the role spec.
Related: Best Recruiting Firms for Series A Startups in San Francisco · Best Recruiting Firms for Seed-Stage Startups in New York · Best Recruiting Firms for Seed-Stage Startups
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.
