I Spent $450K Of My Own Money Learning How To Hire On-Demand Talent: Here Are 3 Tips For Solopreneurs

Over the last five years, I’ve personally spent $450K hiring on-demand talent.

This global talent base has become my fractional R&D department to validate new business ideas quickly. While I love hiring on-demand talent, there are some gotchas. Here’s what I learned.

👨‍💻 #1 Delegate The Right Work: I wasted money thinking I could write up a simple concept doc and have a single person complete multi-disciplinary tasks. It didn’t work. However, breaking up the tasks by discipline and skill level was the unlock. Clear brief. Single skill set. Task-oriented work. I’ve gotten fast enough to scope the job, write a JD, screen talent, and get to offer (async) in 2-4 hours per hire.

☃️ #2 Snowball The Hours: I start all new contract relationships hourly, working single-digit hours per week. Poor performers will flame out in the first two weeks. The winners become obvious and long-term relationships can be built. Contracting and freelancing is a seasonal job for many. Don’t expect everyone to stay. Turn the winning freelancers into full-time contractors when they’re interested.

⏰ #3 Trust Is Earned: I’ve worked with contractors who I now consider friends. That took years. There are no shortcuts to building trust. However, giving people early chances to show who they are (good or bad) is a smart move.

Other people know things you don’t and collectively have more time than you. Hire them to create leverage.