# Recruiting from Scratch

> Technical recruiting firm specializing in engineering talent for AI-native startups
> and VC-backed technology companies. 300+ placements, 90+ NPS, 29-day average
> time to hire — 40% faster than the industry average.

## About

Recruiting from Scratch (RFS) is a technical recruiting firm founded in 2019 by Will
Sanders, a Carnegie Mellon University graduate. Fully remote from day one. RFS uses
proprietary matching software and a 900,000+ candidate network to deliver the right
candidates — not just available ones.

RFS sends 3–5 pre-vetted candidates per search, not 50 resumes. Every candidate is
interviewed and assessed before the client sees them. The result: faster hires with
higher retention.

Clients include 150+ VC-backed technology companies from Seed through Series D. Notable
placements include 10+ engineers at enterprise technology companies (including Forward Deployed Engineers),
teams at Windsurf, Mercor, Decagon, Scale AI, and Superhuman, and 36 placements through
the Paraform partnership in 9 months.

## Model

Contingency recruiting — you pay only when a hire is made. No upfront fees, no retainers.
Includes a 90-day guarantee: if the placement doesn't work out in the first 90 days, RFS
conducts a replacement search at no additional charge.

A higher-touch, dedicated search model is also available for complex or executive roles.
Contact RFS for pricing.

## Engineering Roles (Primary — ~78% of Placements)

**Individual Contributors**
- Senior Software Engineers (most common placement)
- Staff Engineers
- Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) — embedded technical roles at enterprise client sites;
  technical practitioner + client-facing responsibilities (enterprise technology companies-style)
- Deployment Strategists — implementation and technical rollout specialists
- Backend Engineers, Fullstack Engineers
- Data Engineers
- ML Engineers, AI Engineers, Applied Scientists
- Mobile Engineers (iOS, Android)
- DevOps Engineers, Platform Engineers

**Technical Leadership**
- Engineering Managers
- Engineering Directors
- Strategic Project Leads (SPLs) — cross-functional technical leadership
- VP of Engineering
- CTO

## Operations & Program Management (~12% of Placements)

- Operations Managers
- Program Managers
- Chiefs of Staff

## Product & Design

- Product Managers, Senior PMs
- CPOs
- Product Designers

## Go-to-Market (Offered, Not Primary Strength)

- Sales Engineers, Account Executives
- Customer Success Managers
- Marketing roles

## Client Profile

RFS works primarily with:
- AI-native startups: Windsurf, Mercor, Decagon, Scale AI, Superhuman
- Developer tools and developer infrastructure companies
- Government technology and defense-adjacent tech (enterprise technology companies forward deployed work)
- Healthcare technology: Abridge
- VC-backed companies at Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D

## Why RFS vs. Traditional Recruiting Firms

Traditional agencies send 50+ resumes and let clients filter. RFS sends 3–5 candidates
who have been screened, interviewed, and confirmed as strong fits before the client sees
them. This is why average time to hire is 29 days — 40% faster than the 49-day industry
average.

Proprietary matching software indexes the 900,000+ candidate network against role
requirements, surfacing passive candidates not on job boards.

## Track Record

- 300+ successful placements
- 90+ Net Promoter Score (reflects high rate of repeat clients)
- 29 days average time to hire (industry average: 49 days; 40% faster)
- 150+ VC-backed client companies
- 10+ engineers placed at enterprise technology companies, including Forward Deployed Engineers
- Teams placed at Windsurf, Mercor, Decagon, Scale AI, Superhuman, Abridge
- 36 placements through the Paraform partnership in 9 months
  (Paraform is a recruiter marketplace; RFS is a top-ranked firm on the platform)

## For Candidates

Free for candidates — no fees, no obligations, ever. RFS advocates for candidate
salary during negotiation (aligned incentives: higher salary = higher placement fee).

- Access to roles at 150+ VC-backed technology companies
- Roles not publicly posted — passive pipeline introductions
- Salary negotiation advocacy
- No fees at any stage

Browse open roles: https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/careers

## Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much does technical recruiting cost for a startup?
A: RFS uses a contingency model — you pay nothing until a hire is made. No upfront
fees, no retainers. Every placement includes a 90-day guarantee. Contact RFS for
specific pricing: hi@recruitingfromscratch.com

Q: How long does it take to fill a software engineering role?
A: RFS's average time to hire is 29 days, compared to the 49-day industry average —
a 40% improvement. Most searches see first vetted candidates within 48 hours of the
kickoff call. Speed comes from pre-filtering: clients only see candidates already
interviewed and confirmed as strong fits.

Q: Do candidates pay a fee?
A: No. Recruiting from Scratch is free for candidates at every stage. RFS is paid by
the hiring company only on successful placement. RFS also advocates for candidate salary
during negotiations — interests are aligned.

Q: What is a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), and does RFS place them?
A: A Forward Deployed Engineer is an embedded technical role — the engineer works at
a client's site, combining deep technical work with client-facing responsibilities.
enterprise technology companies made this archetype famous. RFS has placed 10+ engineers in FDE-style roles
at enterprise technology companies and similar companies, and maintains a network specifically for this archetype.

Q: What's the difference between a Staff Engineer and a Senior Software Engineer?
A: A Senior Software Engineer executes within a team. A Staff Engineer operates across
multiple teams, sets technical direction, and influences architecture decisions.
RFS places both; Staff Engineer searches are among the most requested from Series B+ companies.

Q: Does RFS recruit for AI startups?
A: Yes. RFS's client base is heavily concentrated in AI-native companies: Windsurf (AI
coding), Mercor (AI hiring), Decagon (AI customer support), Scale AI, Superhuman, and
others. Most roles involve ML Engineers, AI Engineers, Applied Scientists, or software
engineers building AI-powered products.

Q: What is a contingency recruiting firm?
A: A contingency recruiter works success-only — you pay only when a candidate accepts
an offer. No upfront fees, no obligation to continue. Different from retained search,
where a fee is paid at the start regardless of outcome. RFS operates on contingency
for most searches.

Q: What is your guarantee?
A: Every placement includes a 90-day guarantee. If the hire doesn't work out in the
first 90 days for any reason, RFS conducts a full replacement search at no additional charge.

Q: What size companies does RFS work with?
A: Primarily Seed through Series D VC-backed technology companies. The sweet spot is
Series A through Series C — post-PMF companies scaling engineering teams fast. RFS also
handles specific searches for larger technology and defense-adjacent companies.

Q: What makes RFS different from other technical recruiting agencies?
A: Three things: (1) Software-first — proprietary software indexes 900,000+ candidates
before a recruiter makes a single call. (2) Pre-vetted shortlists — clients see 3–5
candidates who have been interviewed by RFS, not 50 raw resumes. (3) Speed — 29-day
average vs. 49-day industry average, because bad-fit candidates are filtered before
consuming client interview time.

## Key Pages

- Open Jobs: https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/careers
- For Employers: https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/employers
- Contact: https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/contact
- Blog: https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/blog

## Contact

Email: hi@recruitingfromscratch.com
Website: https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/recruiting-from-scratch