Team, Co-founders & Legal

How do I fire my first bad hire fast and cleanly without blowing up a five-person team?

A starting point

You'll know within 60 days, and every week you wait, the whole small team watches you tolerate it. Move decisively: be direct and kind, give clear feedback (ideally not a total surprise if you've been checking in), and part ways during probation whenever possible for a cleaner exit under Indian norms. Document performance conversations, honor notice and dues, and never ghost or humiliate someone, your first fire is watched by everyone you'll ever hire. Then tell the team plainly and move on.

Go deeper

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked

Read

📄 Article
✓ Link checked India Free Intermediate

Why we picked it This is the legal spine for doing it cleanly under Indian rules. It spells out why parting during probation is the cleanest exit (lighter notice, no retrenchment machinery), the full-and-final settlement clock (exit wages due within 2 working days of the last day under the Code on Wages), and exactly what to document: termination letter, settlement statement, payment records, and the employee's acknowledgment. It also flags state-by-state notice differences (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi), so a Bengaluru fire follows different paper than a Mumbai one.

A Guide to Terminating Employment in India

From India Briefing by Dezan Shira & Associates 15 min read

  • Firing during probation is materially cleaner than firing a confirmed employee, so move inside the 60-to-90-day window if you can
  • Full-and-final settlement (salary, leave encashment, statutory dues) is legally due within 2 working days of the last day, so pay fast and issue the relieving letter
  • Keep the paper trail: termination letter, settlement statement, payment proof, and a signed acknowledgment protect you if it is ever disputed
Open india-briefing.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it Lopp ran People Ops at Palantir and Pinterest, and his one non-negotiable rule is the one that saves a five-person team: a firing should never be a surprise. He walks the exact sequence, immediate feedback in the first 90 days, an informal pre-PIP conversation, then the formal talk, so by the time you part ways the person has already heard every concern. This is the mechanics behind being direct and kind, and it keeps the four people watching from concluding you fire without warning.

The Best Approach to the Worst Conversation: How to Fire Someone

From First Round Review by Michael Lopp (Rands) 18 min read

  • The longer you avoid a performance problem, the less likely you can ever fix it, so raise it the week you notice it
  • Never delegate the hard conversation to HR or a manager; own it directly, that is what the rest of the team is watching
  • By the firing day the person should already know every concern, no surprises, because you documented and voiced them along the way
Open review.firstround.com →
✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it Dalgaard, who founded SuccessFactors and sold it to SAP for 3.7 billion dollars, makes the case you need to actually pull the trigger: he has never fired anyone too early. His sharpest point is exactly your five-person problem, junior people spot the mis-hire before you do, and every week you tolerate it they lose faith in your judgment and the best ones start eyeing the door. Read it when you are still hoping it works itself out; it will not.

It's Never Too Early to Fire

From Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) by Lars Dalgaard 12 min read

  • Most performance problems are visible within about two weeks, so your gut at 60 days is not premature, it is late
  • Your team sees the bad hire before you admit it; tolerating it signals weak leadership and pushes your best people out
  • Do it with dignity, but the cost of waiting (lost momentum, eroded trust) always exceeds the discomfort of acting now
Open a16z.com →

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