Engineers interviewing non-engineers: a guide to spotting red flags

Technical founders often face challenges when hiring their first non-technical business hires, such as those responsible for go-to-market strategies, customer success, and finance. Common pitfalls include relying on PR agencies too early, which can be costly and ineffective for startups that haven't reached a stable stage, and focusing prematurely on complex attribution models or A/B testing, both of which require significant resources and may not yield actionable insights for early-stage companies. Instead, founders should prioritize keeping the cost of customer acquisition under control with simple metrics, focusing on high-impact, direct actions, and leveraging faster, more iterative processes like surveys and interviews for decision-making. Emphasizing creative approaches and learning from industry peers who are slightly more advanced can be more beneficial in generating attention and improving conversion rates without the overhead of extensive data projects.