Hiring people in startups is important but is often done badly.

One simple trick: don't hire. As Eric Torenberg explains:

"One of the biggest mistakes I see founders make is that they hire too quickly. Once their startup raises $1M+, they immediately want to recruit 8-10 people to look "official," when in reality they should be focused on the mechanics of finding product market fit.

One trick is to not mention headcount when telling other people how your startup is going — you want to measure your worth by your customer traction, not the size of your team."

If you do want to hire, plan it well, be methodical, know what you are looking for and move quickly.