Hiring Thinking
When to Hire #1
Trigger: When FDE work exceeds what Thomas can handle solo while maintaining product development velocity.
Signals we're close:
- Second client signed (can't be at two sites simultaneously)
- Premera engagement goes live and demands full-time embedding
- Fundraise closes and we have runway to hire
Signals we're NOT close:
- Still waiting on Premera response
- Fundraise not closed
- Product needs major development before deployment
First Hire Profile
Role: Solutions Engineer / Forward-Deployed Engineer (hybrid)
Must-haves:
- Can write production TypeScript/Next.js code
- Comfortable in someone else's IT environment (VPNs, restricted tooling, compliance)
- Can talk to nurses, IT directors, and CTOs — not just engineers
- Healthcare domain knowledge (or fast learner with genuine curiosity)
- Self-directed — no one managing them day-to-day at a client site
Nice-to-haves:
- Browser automation / RPA experience
- AI/LLM integration experience
- Prior experience at early-stage startup
- Utilization review / prior auth domain knowledge
Anti-patterns:
- Pure backend engineer who doesn't want to be customer-facing
- Enterprise PM who can't write code
- Someone who needs structure, process, and a big team behind them
Comp Strategy
Pre-seed / early seed: $100-130K base + 0.5-1.5% equity. Pitch: employee #1, massive market, real traction, meaningful ownership.
Roles We're Watching
Track interesting JDs from companies in adjacent spaces:
- Healthie (Solutions Engineer) — see
interview-guide-solutions-engineer.md - Cohere Health (various engineering roles)
- EviCore / Carelon (legacy UR, look for people leaving)
- Palantir (FDE program — cultural model for what we need)