Hiring top-tier engineering talent is always a challenge, especially when you’re a fast-growing startup balancing budget constraints with the need for speed. That was exactly the situation Max Abe, co-founder and CEO of Pickleheads, found himself in after raising a $2.5M seed round.
Pickleheads is a platform for pickleball enthusiasts to find places to play, meet fellow players, and organize games. After running lean since their start in 2022, the new funding meant it was time to grow the team, specifically, their engineering team.
The Challenge: Scaling Smartly with Limited Resources
Max was no stranger to talent marketplaces. Before Pickleheads, he built Growth Collective, a platform connecting freelance marketers with businesses. He knew the recruitment landscape inside out and had seen how aggressive take rates from marketplaces and steep one-time fees from recruiters were eating into budgets.
“We wanted to connect with talent directly, especially from South America, to stay within our time zone. But every platform we found was either charging a huge markup or pushing contingent recruitment fees that didn’t align with how we hire,” Max said.
Adding to the complexity, Max’s team preferred a “trial-first” hiring approach. Rather than a drawn-out recruitment process, they wanted to bring candidates on board quickly, work together for a few weeks, and assess the fit in real scenarios.
VanHack Success Story: Interview with Max Abe, CEO of Pickleheads
The Solution: VanHack’s Subscription Model
After exploring several platforms and agencies, Max discovered VanHack. The subscription model—offering unlimited hires for a flat monthly fee—was a game-changer.
“It’s the only model I found that combines a vetted South American talent pool with a flat-rate subscription. No hefty contingent fees. No exploitative take rates. Just a direct, efficient way to find and test talent,” Max explained.
Traditional models didn’t fit the Pickleheads’ approach. Agencies wanted large upfront fees, while other platforms added a 100% markup to talent rates. “That pricing made no sense. It was as expensive as hiring U.S.-based engineers,” Max said.
VanHack’s model allowed Max’s team to stay agile. They could screen, interview, and trial candidates without being locked into expensive contracts or inflated rates.
The Results: Two Long-Term Fits
Through VanHack, Pickleheads made two hires:
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Full-Stack Engineer: Became a core team member, delivering exactly the skillset Pickleheads needed.
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QA Test Engineer: Took ownership of the app’s stability, building out automated testing processes that saved Max from manual QA work.
The hiring process was efficient and founder-friendly. VanHack provided daily candidate recommendations, and Max’s team handled interviews and technical evaluations. “It was light-touch, but we had full control. That’s how we like it,” Max said.
Who Should Use This Model?
Max recommends VanHack to any startup looking to maximize their hiring budget while accessing high-quality talent from South America. However, he emphasized it’s also a viable option for larger companies, especially those with in-house resources, who can manage interviews and onboarding.
“This model lets you fully benefit from cost-of-living differences while working with pre-vetted talent. You get to try people out and see if it’s a mutual fit. It’s the future of hiring. I tell all my founder friends to check it out,” Max concluded.
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