Hiring is tough — software engineers hate job searching, hiring managers are stretched thin, and interviews? They suck for everyone. But finding the right people is critical for building a great startup.This podcast is for software engineers navigating startup hiring. We dive into real stories from startup leaders, uncover what makes a great (or terrible) hiring process, and explore how to make finding and landing startup jobs suck less.Each episode features a founder, hiring manager, or software engineer sharing their journey, hiring philosophy, and lessons learned. We’ll also break down hiring pain points—job descriptions, resumes, interviews, negotiation, culture screening, and more. Expect real talk, expert insights, and the occasional resume roast.Subscribe for candid conversations about startup hiring and what actually works.
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Your Next Tech Startup is a business podcast hosted by Isabel Rasmussen, with 30 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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Isabel Rasmussen hosts Your Next Tech Startup, a business show with 30 episodes published.
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Episode #31
The Fake Candidate Problem No One's Talking About
May 27, 202611 min
In this episode, Isabel Rasmussen, Proceso Talent, and Giuseppe Morgana, CTO of New Harbor, discuss the rising challenge of fake candidates infiltrating remote hiring processes. They share their firsthand experiences and practical strategies to identify, prevent, and stay ahead of fraudulent applicants, emphasizing the importance of technical tools and vigilant interview practices. Host: Isabel Rasmussen / isabelrasmussen Guest: Giuseppe Morgana: / gmorgana Main Topics: The increasing prevalence of AI and impersonation scams in remote recruitment Key signs of fabricated candidates: suspicious resumes, synced tech stacks, and predictability Group tactics behind fake applications, including coordinated interview responses Tools and techniques for detecting fake profiles on platforms like LinkedIn and GitHub Best practices for organizations to protect their hiring process from AI fraud The importance of continuous awareness and evolving security measures in recruitment What We Actually Saw Fabricated resumes — fake experience at well-known companies, tech stacks perfectly mirrored to your job posting. Mixed in with other types of embellishment like spending the past few years as a “Founding Engineer” at one of the largest consulting organizations in the world Identity theft — real people's names, experience, and LinkedIn profiles attached to fake applicants Hijacked LinkedIn profiles — not just fake ones, but real accounts that had been taken over They showed up — these weren't just spam applications. They responded to emails, interacted naturally, and came to phone screens Quality improved over time — phone screen responses got noticeably better as you went How We Fought Back / Recommended Steps Resume pattern detection — cross-referencing tech stacks against what companies actually use. Doesn't prove fraud alone but flags where to dig. High reliability signal even if not definitive. Public profile forensics — checks on LinkedIn history, GitHub history, etc. for consistency Video call tactics — asking candidates to turn off virtual backgrounds, wave hand in front of face. Acknowledge these feel absurd but they work as a first filter (at least for now). Ask them about hometown questions The in-person step — ultimately added a required in-person touchpoint for remote roles as the most reliable verification Identity Proofing Tech - Traditional background checks focus on things like criminal history; what’s needed is a step that makes sure the person is who they are The Human Cost It's exhausting — every applicant now starts under a cloud of doubt about legitimacy, not quality It changes the hiring experience for legitimate candidates too The recruiter's evolving playbook — what worked six months ago doesn't work now. The arms race is real. Emotional weight of knowing real people are being impersonated and harmed
Is This Startup Toxic? Interview Questions That Reveal the Truth
Jan 23, 202647 min
How can you tell if a startup will be a healthy place to work or a fast track to burnout? In this episode, Isabel Rasmussen, Host and Fractional Head of Technical Recruitment, and Dr. Matthew Jones, Startup Executive Psychologist and cofounder of Cofounder Clarity, explain how software engineers can evaluate startup culture during the interview process. Instead of relying on vague culture statements, we focus on practical interview questions that reveal how teams handle mistakes, conflict, feedback, and leadership pressure. You’ll learn: How to spot healthy vs. toxic startup culture Interview questions that reveal how teams really operate Warning signs of poor leadership and unsafe environments What engineers should look for before joining an early-stage company This episode is for software engineers considering a startup role and anyone who wants to make a smarter career decision before signing an offer. Topics: startup culture, engineering interviews, workplace culture, toxic startups, leadership, team dynamics, career advice for software engineers Guest: Dr. Matthew Jones Startup Executive Psychologist, Cofounder Clarity https://cofounderclarity.com
Now Hiring: Sr Founding Engineer @ New Harbor (US Remote)
Dec 10, 202510 min
Isabel Rasmussen speaks the founders of New Harbor about the US Remote Sr Engineering Engineer role. We go beyond the job description to discuss great opportunities at startups in our Now Hiring episodes. Interested in this role? email Isabel at newharbor.co Host: Isabel Rasmussen https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelrasmussen/ Guests: Jonathan Edward https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanedward/, Giuseppe Morgana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmorgana/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to New Harbor and Its Mission 02:12 The Need for a Senior Engineer 04:37 Technical Requirements for the Role 05:17 Building Team Culture in a Remote Environment 08:30 The Importance of Mission Alignment New Harbor We founded New Harbor to bring foundational cybersecurity to organizations of all sizes. Today, we serve customers operating globally through our software platform and expert support. We're advancing this mission by launching a self-service platform that automates the deployment and management of security measures - making it easy for any organization to benefit from the protections proven to stop most attacks without being overwhelmed. Organizations today face an impossible problem: employees use hundreds of SaaS apps, but enforcing consistent security across them means manually configuring each one. Enterprise SSO only works if you pay premium tiers everywhere. We're building a platform that lets you approve a rule once - like "enforce multi-factor authentication" - and have it enforced everywhere possible without having to configure every application. We combine API integrations with an AI-assisted browser extension to automate security controls in any application. We're building towards our public launch. The technical challenges are real: reliably automating security controls across hundreds of different applications, building a rule engine that works across varied APIs and browser interfaces, and doing it all in a way that scales. If you're excited about building something from the ground up that solves a problem security teams actually have, we'd love to talk. Full JD https://app.dover.com/apply/New%20Harbor/6918753a-76ce-491d-8f9e-aef5918afd82/?rs=76643084 Music by: https://www.bensound.com Artist: Marcus P. License code: 4YKVHGTNVRLVH3BV #NowHiring #StartupJobs #RemoteJobs #SoftwareEngineering #EngineeringCareers #TechCareers #StartupLife #RemoteWork #WorkFromHome #CareerGrowth #SeniorEngineer #SREngineer #NewHarbor #TechStartups #HiringNow #CareerOpportunities #PodcastInterview #EngineeringJobs
Now Hiring Remote: Sr Product Manager & Tech Lead Manager
Sep 29, 202512 min
In this episode, Isabel Rasmussen discusses two key roles at a Series B startup with Zach, the Director of Engineering, and Will, the Director of Product. Open Roles: Technical Lead Manager and Senior Product Manager Interested in these roles? Please reach out directly to Isabel: isabel@procesotalent.com Or connect on LinkedIn: /www.linkedin.com/in/isabelrasmussen/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Luxury Presence and Roles 01:38 Technical Lead Manager Role Overview 03:39 Senior Product Manager Role Overview 05:20 Team Dynamics and Culture 07:07 Management Styles and Expectations 09:41 Candidate Profile and Ideal Qualities Isabel is a Fractional Head of Technical Recruitment who works directly with engineering leaders to hire top talent — from Senior Software Engineers to Directors of Engineering. With over a decade of experience recruiting for high-growth startups, she brings a strategic, hands-on approach to scaling technical teams that thrive in fast-paced environments. Isabel is also the host of Your Next Tech Startup, a weekly podcast where she interviews founders, engineering leaders, and software engineers about what it really takes to build and grow teams in the startup world. 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournexttechstartup 📺 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/exiBw46n 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eYsCN4y4🍎 ❤️ iHeartRadio: https://shorturl.at/NI3sq❤️ Music by: https://www.bensound.com Artist: Marcus P. License code: 4YKVHGTNVRLVH3BV
Laid Off Engineers: What AI Changed in the Workplace with Sid Parakh
Sep 12, 202525 min
In this conversation, Sid Parakh, a Director of Engineering, and Isabel Rasmussen, Technical Recruiter and host of Your Next Tech Startup discuss the changes engineering teams have experienced over the last year. Many engineers have been laid off and have been job hunting for 6-18 months. Consequently, they're missing out on day-to-day changes happening in the fast-paced startup world. Not understanding how teams are now working differently puts unemployed candidates at a significant disadvantage. We discuss the transformative impact of AI on engineering teams, hiring practices, and the evolving roles of engineers. Sid emphasizes the importance of adaptability, business acumen, and the integration of AI skills in the hiring process. The discussion also highlights the significance of collaborative learning through hackathons as a means to upskill and stay relevant in the industry. Host: Isabel Rasmussen https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelrasmussen/ Guest: Siddharth Parakh https://www.linkedin.com/in/parakhsiddharth/ Chapters 00:00 The Impact of AI on Engineering Teams at Startups 05:20 The Evolution of Engineering Skills 08:02 The Importance of Business Acumen 10:28 Outcome Over Output in Engineering 12:56 AI in the Interview Process 15:40 The Need for Adaptability 18:22 Networking and Hackathons Isabel is a Fractional Head of Technical Recruitment who works directly with engineering leaders to hire top talent — from Senior Software Engineers to Directors of Engineering. With over a decade of experience recruiting for high-growth startups, she brings a strategic, hands-on approach to scaling technical teams that thrive in fast-paced environments. Isabel is also the host of Your Next Tech Startup, a weekly podcast where she interviews founders, engineering leaders, and software engineers about what it really takes to build and grow teams in the startup world. 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yournexttechstartup 📺 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/exiBw46n 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eYsCN4y4🍎 ❤️ iHeartRadio: https://shorturl.at/NI3sq❤️ Music by: https://www.bensound.com Artist: Marcus P. License code: 4YKVHGTNVRLVH3BV
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