Daakor: Expert Interior Decorating Advice You Can Actually Afford

What stage are you at?

Bootstrapped and validation stage. 

Tell us about your experience hiring software developers.

Hiring a developer was first and foremost on Dilhani’s mind as she knew her company would be a software first company. She had contacts offshore and decided to outsource her initial product, only to realize she lacked the ongoing support she needed to be able to iterate quickly and respond to customer demands. As she recalls, the smaller tweaks she requested were not worthwhile for the offshore team to pick up, so they would wait until there were enough requests before they would work on her product-- which of course, was not adequate for the startup pace. 

“I really struggled, because I’m bootstrapped, knowing how expensive development resources are on-shore, I resisted hiring someone for a while. When I realized I really needed to do this, I started looking for interns or students who could work part-time. What I found was, they didn’t quite have the prioritization I was looking for.”

Tell us about your experience with Hatchways.

“A turning point for me was hiring from Hatchways.”

The first hire Daakor made from Hatchways was a developer with a non-traditional background-- a liberal arts background who had an entrepreneurial spirit starting his own boutique SEO firm previously. A perfect combination of skills and interests for a startup like Daakor.

“The major difference I saw with [this candidate] compared to the other hires, because he was someone who had experience elsewhere, he wasn’t just out of school, it really brought a different perspective in terms of the level and quality of work he brought to the table.”

More recently, Daakor hired another two software developers that started as interns and have both been recently brought on full-time. “I can’t imagine my company without them because I think they contribute every single day in so many ways,” says Dilhani. “It’s been an incredible experience.”

What is the value of hiring on an intern to full-time model?

“It’s a great way to test and see if it's a good fit. 4 months is a good amount of exposure to see if a person is a good fit and how do they contribute to this company. To me, it lets me see how committed they are.”

What is the biggest value you’ve gotten out of working with Hatchways?

“I would have never known how to connect or find these people. The quality of people that you bring to the table is where the difference is. If I had known what I know now, I would have used you 6 months earlier.”

What are common mistakes startups make with hiring?
  1. You don’t need the MVP you think you do.
  2. Don’t go offshore, and if you plan to go offshore, have a plan on how to bring it back in-house.