LEADERSHIP
Foundational Strategy
Hiring: Individual Contributors vs. Executive Leaders
Hiring ICs and execs requires different approaches. Knowing the difference ensures you fill the right gaps at the right stage.
TIME COMMITMENT
2–3 weeks per hire
Revisit frameworks every 6–12 months
Why This Matters
Prevents under- or over-hiring for a role
Saves money and team morale
Ensures strong culture-fit and execution ability
Builds a scalable leadership pipeline
Helps founders delegate effectively
When to Focus On This
You're hiring your first VP/Director
Team is stretched and founders are over-involved
Growth plan includes org scale or departmental build-outs
How to Complete
Define whether the role is IC, manager, or executive
Identify the "job to be done" and what success looks like
Use the Builder/Scaler/Optimizer framework
Write separate scorecards for each tier
Adjust comp, expectations, and onboarding accordingly
Set evaluation criteria in advance
Align internally on the level before opening a role
Tools
Leadership archetype scorecards
Role clarity matrix
Hiring decision trees
Deliverables
Tiered job descriptions (IC vs. Exec)
Scorecards and interview plans
Evaluation checklist by role type
How to Measure Success
Role clarity among team and candidates
% of hires who stay >12 months
Onboarding satisfaction and time-to-impact
Who Owns This
CEO, functional leads, Head of People (if present)
Get It Right
Match role level to company maturity
Hire a “Builder” before you hire a “Scaler”
Test for leadership and execution
Involve other leaders in the hiring process
Align hiring with org design
Don't Make These Mistakes
Hiring a big-title exec when you need a hands-on doer
Expecting ICs to scale without support
Confusing manager-of-ICs vs. manager-of-managers
Skipping internal alignment before hiring
Ignoring role evolution needs