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We are about to hire an Eng leader. That reminded me to write about some things I’ve learned over the years hiring product/eng leaders.
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Great leaders are working somewhere already. They will think about your company as an investment. If things go well, they will invest 2-3 years of their time at least.
So, spend time writing down all the context this person should have as if they were investors.
So, spend time writing down all the context this person should have as if they were investors.
This varies based on the stage of the company, but consider a gdoc/gslides with:
company profile (employees, amt of customers, key metrics, etc)
what your company solves and why
mission/vision/values
revenue metrics
company prios for the year
company profile (employees, amt of customers, key metrics, etc)what your company solves and whymission/vision/valuesrevenue metricscompany prios for the year
Include also information about the product and the org:
roadmap and product strategy
leadership team
org structure
challenges ahead (and where you are today)
top 3 traits/skills you think this person needs
roadmap and product strategy leadership team org structure challenges ahead (and where you are today) top 3 traits/skills you think this person needs
Find 2-3 leaders in the industry you look up to. Reach out and have a conversation to learn about how they think about the role and what would they look for (share them the doc above).
Bonus: sometimes those conversations turn into them being attracted to the oppty :D
Bonus: sometimes those conversations turn into them being attracted to the oppty :D
Use a good agency if you can afford one. For product/eng leaders, @RiviTeam is one of the best. The good ones work on a retainer. You will have a call to go through the doc above and also provide them with target companies. It will take 2-4 weeks to adjust the profile.
Have a tight interview loop (no more than 6-7 interviews, you can pair people if needed). Ideally, pack all the interviews in 1-2 days. Make sure everyone prioritizes this in their calendar (this is hard!).
Interviews are ok, but I find working on a problem with a candidate to predict more accurately whether they are fit.
Ideally, put them on a Slack channel with 4-5 other people and spend time working on something. If you are short on time, do it as a 1-hour call brainstorming.
Ideally, put them on a Slack channel with 4-5 other people and spend time working on something. If you are short on time, do it as a 1-hour call brainstorming.
Don't settle too quickly. Have a few options because candidates drop like deals. 
BTW, we are scaling our Eng org and looking to hire an SVP of Engineering. If you want to see all the above in action, apply 
https://auth0.com/careers/job/svp-engineering:832d47b6-bc82-414d-ab88-a6c10ac430ba
https://auth0.com/careers/job/svp-engineering:832d47b6-bc82-414d-ab88-a6c10ac430ba
