Should Startups Hire Generals or Soldiers First?

Should Startups Hire Generals or Soldiers First?

I’ve grappled with this concept for a long time, but I recently came across a clear breakdown in The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling:

• Task-level thinkers focus on what they need to get done for the current and maybe the next task.

• Project-level thinkers look ahead weeks or months, juggle multiple priorities, and make decisions that make sense not just today but further down the road.

• Owner-level thinkers care not just about results but about how things are done and the long-term consequences of daily actions.

This framework applies to AI tech startups and film production.

Hiring: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up

Two common schools of thought on early-stage startup recruiting:

• Top-Down Approach: Hire senior leadership first. They define strategy, structure the organization, and recruit “foot soldiers” to execute.

• Bottom-Up Approach: Hire task-level executors, build the product, drive traction and funding, and then attract higher-level thinkers.

For us, it’s all about the Tao: dealing with the reality of each moment as it comes.

Given our current reality (a strong founding team and limited pre-seed funding), we bias toward hiring task-level thinkers who can build.

Certain Silicon Valley wisdom says a candidate should be “either a hell-yeah or a no.” We find that impractical… and kinda delusional. Instead, we follow the common-sense rule: Make the best out of what you have around you.

Certain Silicon Valley wisdom says a candidate should be “either a hell-yeah or a no.” We find that impractical… and kinda delusional.

It’s Not a Hierarchy, And Film Industry Proves It

Before you assume this is a pyramid where “owner-level” > “project-level” > “task-level”, it’s not. In fact, creative fields subconsciously subscribe to this hierarchy, and it’s toxic.

In our documentary productions, we met our fair share of executives who claim the ownership level. They talk in grand artistic philosophies (generality, never specifics; long-term, never right now) which are detached from the grind in reality.

The “fake-it-till-you-make-it” ethos demands everyone promote themselves at the very least to “project-level” thinkers. Actual tasks? That’s for assistants.

In the end, many “leaders” delegate everything downward, reserving “owner-level work” for themselves, which in practice means wining, dining, and talking big.

The “fake-it-till-you-make-it” ethos demands everyone promote themselves at the very least to “project-level” thinkers. Actual tasks? That’s for assistants.

Everybody Gets Their Hands Dirty

We don’t want to get sucked into some romantic notion of what work should be like.

At ChatCut, we respect butts in the seat, boots on the ground, getting your hands dirty, and getting stuff done — no matter what level.

But just to bring back the fluidity (the Tao), a quote from Steve Jobs:

“The people who are doing the work are the ones who know best what the big picture looks like.” — Steve Jobs

How do you build your army? Do you hire generals or soldiers first?

Try ChatCut Free →

Conclusion

Building a successful startup isn’t about choosing between generals and soldiers; it’s about finding the right balance for your current reality. Whether you’re hiring task-level executors or strategic thinkers, what matters most is getting the work done and building something meaningful together.

Read more about our hiring culture and work style at ChatCut, join the Friends of ChatCut program, and see what we’re building with AI.

Try ChatCut Free →