All the effort small companies put into recruiting is the very thing stopping them from hiring the ambitious people they want / seeing the actual core issue why they fail to hire ambitious people.
The demand for Data Scientists and Software Engineers to join small, scrappy teams is massive—undebatable. I’m a Data Scientist with dozens of peers in my network, and every day I see proof of this hunger.
Even if the pay is less, the demand is huge.
Yet every day I also see posts like this from small companies:
Let me translate for you:
"What are we doing wrong?
For the past six months, we’ve been on the hunt for a Data Scientist — someone ambitious who loves building things, is endlessly curious, and loves solving problems.
Yet we’ve found… nothing.
Our job ad runs on Stepstone and Join, plus we’re running Meta Ads.
Some resumes roll in, but:
- Very few candidates have real experience
- Almost none show the curiosity we need
- Hardly anyone is really committed — it feels like filler, not future teammates
We know how important a Data Scientist is to our growth, and we refuse to lower our bar.
But now we’re asking ourselves:
Are we being too selective?
Or are we still not reaching the right talent?
If you’ve gone through the same frustration, I’d love to hear what finally worked for you—or any tips to sharpen our search."
And every time a small company hits this wall and cries for help, the same advice shows up like clockwork.
“Lower your expectations.”
“Winning these A Players is hard. Settle for less.”
“It is the market.”
“Maybe you’re just not reaching the right people.”
“Split the job into two roles.”
“Highlight your perks.”
“Be more authentic.”
“Highlight your perks. Add more personality to your job ad!”
“Maybe Gen Z just wants more flexibility.”
“You should try TikTok.”
And this makes me sick. It not only bad advice. But it actively points away from the actual problem.
I as a Data Scientists myself that worked in small companies my entiree career will tell you this now.
The only reason why small companies fail to recruit ambitious tech people boils down to one core issue.
One core issue that literally no one is aware of.
Not the so called „recruiting experts“
Not the „Linkedin Gooners“
Not your Co Workers
Definitely not ChatGPT.
And that is why listening to this advice is so dangerous.
Because once you understand the core issue, it becomes painfully obvious
why this advice is bullshit,
why your job posts don’t convert,
why every recruiting channel you use bleeds you dry,
and no matter what you try you always end up in a dead end.
This is a huge problem that I witness on a daily basis.
But what pisses me off the most is that this is such an easy fix.
But everyone just keeps overcomplicating it. It is sad.
Meanwhile more and more scrappy but smart companies from all kinds of industries finally become aware of this core issue. Which means they win.
100+ Smart small unknown companies from all kinds of industries have already adapted. They are ignoring the noise. They are aware of the core issue.
And they literally just follow 4 simple steps. That is it.
No effort.
Zero Recruiting Cost.
Same Salary.
Because when it comes to recruiting Data Scientists and Software Engineers as a small unknwon company there are only a handful of things that matter.
This just proves that everyone is overcomplicating it.
Because they are not aware of the core issue.
And you have to ask yourself.
Do you want to hire?
Or do you want to play recruiting?
Because the thing with recruiting is this.
It’s ruled by the sunk-cost fallacy. Throwing in more time, money, and effort doesn’t increase your chances or get you better results.
You either get it right or you waste your time, period.
And if you think that isn’t true, you’re part of the problem.
If you want to know what the core issue, see exactly how smart companies solve it in 4 simple steps, understand why it works so well, and see proof from real-world examples in action.
Solve the Core Issue Now →