To summarize, when hiring someone with competing offers from big tech, move quickly with your offer, follow up personally, and highlight how big companies often shut down projects, leading to wasted effort.

Involve your team and investors in the hiring process after making an offer to help close candidates who may be hesitant about leaving larger companies.

Emphasize to candidates that startups don't waste time on projects that get shut down; everything they do will directly impact real users and customers, which is a fulfilling experience.

It's crucial to reference candidates with people who have worked with them to gain insights into their work style and effectiveness.

Understand the biases of those giving you career advice, especially from big companies, which may have ulterior motives in attracting talent.

For junior candidates, emphasize the mentorship opportunities available at your startup, especially if you have experienced engineers on your team.

Great candidates are attracted to challenging problems, so it's important to be transparent about the difficulties they will face in the role.

Emphasize the unique learning opportunities at your startup, as candidates can gain real decision-making experience that they wouldn't get at larger companies.

If you're struggling to source candidates, be less aggressive in screening them out early in the process to increase your chances of finding qualified applicants.