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Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Aug 1

A founder once told me:
“I kept giving them feedback. They kept delivering the same thing.”

They didn’t have a dev problem.
They had a context problem.

The best devs don’t just listen.
They translate.
That’s how you build momentum.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 31

Hiring isn’t just about skill.

It’s about chemistry.

I’ve seen teams slow down after hiring one technically solid dev.
Wrong communication style.
Wrong energy.
Wrong instincts.

Bad culture fit doesn’t always look like drama.
It looks like drag.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 30

Some devs understand scale. Others understand survival.

The first can design beautiful systems.
The second keeps you alive long enough to matter.

At seed stage, you don’t need an architect.
You need someone who knows what not to build.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 29

“I just want to write clean code.”

Sounds harmless.
But if that’s their top priority in a startup, you're in trouble.

You don’t need perfectionists.
You need product thinkers who can ship clean enough.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 28

You can’t coach urgency.

Either a dev feels the weight of the roadmap or they don’t.
The ones who thrive in startups don’t wait for clarity.
They move with it.
They close gaps.
They unblock themselves.

That’s not experience.
It’s mindset.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 25

A founder told me they got 300 applicants for a Flutter role.

None made it past round one.

Not because the bar was too high.

Because most were good at applying, not building.

That’s why I don’t wait for inbound.

I find the ones already shipping.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 24

Fast teams aren’t chaotic.

They’re consistent.
• Clear priorities
• Tight loops
• No dead weight
• No hand-holding
• No overthinking

Speed doesn’t come from pressure.
It comes from direction.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 23

When a dev leads with “clean architecture,” I pause.

If they want the perfect setup before shipping a feature, I ask why.

Quality matters. But context matters more.

Perfect code won’t save you, f no one wants what you built.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 22

Some devs ship fast.
Others ask the harder question first:
Should we even build this?

That second kind protects your roadmap, your team’s time, and your burn rate.
Startups don’t fail from bad code.
They fail from building the wrong thing.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 21

What if your best mobile hire never applies?

Not because they’re unqualified, but because they’re not looking.

They’re already building, contributing, helping teams ship.

The best Flutter devs I’ve placed were already on my radar.

You just have to know where to look.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 18

The best Flutter devs aren’t filling out job apps.

They’re shipping side projects at midnight.
Debugging with strangers in Discord.
Writing code that speaks louder than any resume.

You won’t find them in a stack.
You find them by following the work.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 17

You don’t need a 10x dev.
You need someone who gets what you’re building.
Understands urgency.
Can run with a loose brief.
Makes smart tradeoffs under pressure.
That’s the kind of hire that moves the needle fast.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 16

A founder told me:

“He looked great on paper. But everything was overbuilt.”

He defaulted to BLoC and Firebase before asking a single question.

It wasn’t about tools. It was about thinking.

The best devs don’t rely on patterns. They rely on judgment.

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Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 15

The best startup devs don’t just build, they choose.

What to ship now.
What to leave out.
Where to simplify.
What to ignore.

It’s not just speed.
It’s judgment.

Knowing what moves the product forward and what doesn’t.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 14

Most startup interviews reward polish, not proof.

They screen for safe answers instead of smart tradeoffs.

If you want someone who can build under pressure, skip the quiz.

Give them a product call and watch how they think.

That’s the real signal.

1

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 11

Most devs aren’t underbuilding.
They’re overcomplicating.

Scaling before users.
Over-architecting simple flows.
Solving fake problems with real time.

Simple ships faster.
Simple scales later.
Simple wins.

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Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 10

Shipping fast looks exciting.
But great teams ship on repeat.

They don’t chase inspiration.
They don’t overthink specs.
They win by removing chaos.

You don’t need a faster team.
You need a more predictable one.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 9

Six interview rounds.
Zero hires who could move fast.

The company didn’t learn who could ship.
They learned who could survive process.

Startups need less theatre, more proof of execution.

Want signal? Look at what they question, not just what they build.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 8

The best engineers I know don’t ask “How do I build this?”
They ask “Why build this at all?”

AI writes code.
Product engineers kill bad ideas, ship faster, and care if users actually use it.

The market pays 10x for builders who think like owners.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 7

A founder hired a “senior” dev.
Strong CV. Great interview.

3 weeks in, their lead was rewriting PRs and skipping lunch to keep up.

The code shipped. The team slowed.

The most expensive hire?
A mid-level dev you manage like an intern.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 4

The best Flutter devs I placed this year didn’t send résumés.
They shipped proof.
→ GitHub
→ Live apps
→ Smart product calls
Résumés show history.
Startups need execution.
Still screening PDFs?
You’re missing the ones who move the needle.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 3

The best Flutter devs I placed this year didn’t send résumés.
They shipped proof.
→ GitHub
→ Live apps
→ Smart product calls
Résumés show history.
Startups need execution.
Still screening PDFs?
You’re missing the ones who move the needle.

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 2

One Flutter role. 1,200 applicants.
1,080 were AI junk.
The result?
→ Wasted sprints
→ Burned morale
→ Investors asking questions
The best hires didn’t apply, they shipped.
If you’re still hiring from the pile, what’s it really costing you?

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jul 1

Monster died. LinkedIn won’t. But inbound hiring? Already dead.
2% of inbound apps lead to interviews.
Top talent doesn’t apply.
They ship in public.
They get referred.
Still relying on inbound?
You’re behind.
Where did your last great hire come from?

Simon Monaghan @simonmonaghan.bsky.social · Jun 30

Monster and CareerBuilder just filed for bankruptcy.
Legacy doesn’t matter. Adaptation does.
What killed them?
→ Networks (LinkedIn)
→ Speed (Indeed)
→ Fit (Niche platforms)
The best hire I made last month came from a GitHub thread.
Where did yours come from?