11 April 2026 · 4 min read
Test what the job requires
Whiteboard algorithm puzzles predict performance on whiteboard algorithm puzzles. A short, paid, realistic task predicts performance on the job.
Use the same task for every candidate at a level so you can actually compare.
Structure the interview
Unstructured interviews mostly measure rapport. A defined question set with a written scoring rubric measures something closer to capability.
Have each interviewer score independently before discussing, to avoid the loudest opinion setting the room.
Be honest in the pitch
Overselling the role produces accepted offers and six-month departures. Describing the actual technical debt, on-call load, and constraints filters for people who will stay.
Candidates who join knowing the mess are the ones who help clean it up.
Where to go from here
If you are weighing technical hiring for an upcoming project, the useful next step is usually a short scoping conversation rather than a longer article. Bring your constraints — budget, timeline, existing systems, and the team you already have — and the decision usually resolves itself in an hour.
We run these as a fixed-scope discovery session with a written recommendation at the end, including the cases where our advice is that you do not need us.
Working on something like this?
Send us the brief. We will tell you what we would build, what we would cut, and roughly what it costs.
Talk to us