Robotics startup founder: hosting events self-selects the hard-to-find ML talent

DominiqueCAPaul · x · 2026-09-18

An early-stage robotics founder shares hiring lessons:

Great candidates won't come to you; founders must lead hiring, starting with known-excellent people
Talent profile: strong ML fundamentals, fast learning, hunger, values/culture fit
LinkedIn gives sparse info; coffee chats quickly reveal fit — but often within 10 minutes (sometimes 5) you learn someone's PhD plans conflict, making this a slow channel
A key nuance: ML-strong people without robotics experience can be great fits if they have intrinsic interest in robotics, but that subset is small and hard to find
The unexpected biggest perk of hosting events: they naturally self-select people interested in the topic, and outreach afterwards starts from an existing relationship

More from Companies & People