Early-stage founders make the same hiring mistakes with striking consistency: they hire for the role they can describe rather than the work they actually need done, they over-index on pedigree because it feels safe, and they underestimate how much the first five hires shape everything that follows.

AI has made this harder. When every candidate can generate a polished application, traditional credentials are even weaker as signals. The question of what qualified means has shifted — and most job descriptions haven't caught up.

Alison Kaizer from Golden Ventures works with early-stage founders on some of their most consequential decisions. In this episode of Looks Good on Paper, she explains why startups keep getting early hires wrong, how the definition of qualified is changing as AI aptitude becomes a baseline expectation, and what CV-free and structured interview approaches can surface that traditional screening misses entirely.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• The most common early-stage hiring mistakes and how to avoid them
• What to look for in candidates when AI has commoditised polish
• How structured interviews change what you can actually evaluate in first-stage screening

Guest:

Alison Kaizer — Golden Ventures

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonkaizer/

Hosts: Anita Chauhan 

The most common mistake early-stage founders make in hiring is optimising for credentials that feel safe rather than capabilities the business actually needs. The first five hires disproportionately shape culture, process, and trajectory — and pedigree is a poor proxy for the adaptability and execution speed startups require.

─── FOLLOW & CONNECT ───

If this changed how you think about hiring, follow the show — we're one episode per week.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CWrZN8cAoWk

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dbfz6y0tMq3crViHQD66H

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1625835562

Try Willo — video interviewing for skills-based hiring: https://www.willo.video/looks-good-on-paper

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10170893

RELATED TOPICS

Startup hiring, skills-first hiring, AI in recruitment, future of work, talent acquisition strategy, skills-based hiring

Show Resources

• Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time
• CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments
• Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host