As a startup, you can compete with big tech companies by moving quickly through the hiring process, which often takes weeks for candidates at companies like Facebook or Google.

At my startup, Triplebyte, we would call candidates at the end of the day to let them know we were impressed and would send offer details the next morning, which shows candidates that we value their time.

Candidates fear that joining a big tech company means dealing with slow processes and bureaucracy, making them feel like just a cog in the machine.

To stand out, provide personalized attention to candidates from multiple team members, which is something that doesn't happen at 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.

If you can, connect candidates with someone from your network who has experienced project cancellations at big companies to illustrate the potential frustrations they might face there.

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.