Hiring your first VP or C-level exec? You might be gambling with your startup’s future — and the odds aren’t in your favor. Over 50% of startup leadership hires fail within 18 months. That failure isn’t just frustrating — it could cost you up to €250,000 or more.
Dominik Roth, headhunter and host of CEO Career Code, has made over 400 executive placements in VC/PE-backed startups across Europe. In this conversation with Startuprad.io, he unpacks why hiring mistakes happen — and how startup founders can avoid becoming a case study in failure.
👉 For a deeper dive, check out: (Do Follow Link)
https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-executive-hiring-avoiding-costly-leadership-mistakes
🔍 The Startup Leadership Hiring Trap
Founders often rely on gut feeling — what Germans call Bauchgefühl — over structured evaluation.
They prioritize charisma or networks over real capabilities.
Diagnostic hiring flips the script by using psychology-based assessments, not just CVs or interviews.
“Even headhunters can’t beat the 50% failure rate unless they apply diagnostics,” says Roth.
🧪 What Actually Works: Diagnostic Hiring
Here’s Roth’s 3-step process:
Behavioral Interviewing: Testing not just personality, but context-specific behavior.
Cognitive Ability Assessments: Does the candidate adapt fast and think under stress?
Cultural Fit Testing: Not “do we like them,” but “do they thrive in ambiguity?”
“We shouldn’t infer sales competence from charisma. That’s a bias.”
⚠️ The First VP Mistake
Hiring your first VP of Sales or Marketing? Watch out for:
Overvaluing past network
Confusing extroversion with execution
Failing to define what is must-have vs. nice-to-have
“You can’t hire someone with every trait on your wish list. Hire for trajectory and fill the gaps with your team.”
😓 Founder Burnout from Mishires
Many founders hang on to non-performers too long. This leads to:
Emotional exhaustion
Reputational damage
Burn rate acceleration
“Startups aren’t families. Investors expect performance, not paternalism.”
📈 Timeline to Hire Right
Roth’s average search process = 10 weeks
Add 3–4 months for notice periods
Some CxO hires may take 6–9 months, depending on availability
“Founders underestimate how long real hiring takes — and overestimate their ability to ‘feel it out.’”
🧠 What Top Startup Leaders Actually Share
Ability to make fast decisions with limited data
Comfort with conflict and unpopular choices
Not always “team players” — but always company-first
Further Reading
👤 About the Author
Jörn “Joe” Menninger is the founder and host of Startuprad.io, one of Europe’s Top 20 startup podcasts. He’s been featured in Forbes, Tech.eu, and Geektime for his deep analysis of venture capital, startup innovation, and entrepreneurship trends across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
👉 Follow him on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger
What’s the biggest startup hiring mistake you’ve made (or seen)? Drop your story below or reply to this email — we might feature your insights in a future roundup!
🧵 Suggest a subscriber-only thread:
“What interview question actually reveals a founder or VP’s true nature?”
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