Article · 18 min read

Make Stronger Offers to Engineering Candidates and Boost Your Closes

Adil Ajmal (CTO, LendingHome), via First Round Review · First Round Review Free Intermediate

This is the single best playbook for the exact call you are dreading: the candidate has a bigger offer and you have to close them without matching cash. Ajmal, who hired against Amazon and Intuit, gives you the concrete moves, walk the equity through a conservative 5x scenario instead of a fantasy number, say out loud 'I will lose way more money than you do' to earn trust on risk, never trash the competing company, and match your interview panel to whether the person is problem-driven or mission-driven. It also nails your 'personally chosen' point: identify what actually motivates them early, then reinforce it at every stage.

  • Sell equity by walking a conservative upside scenario, not a headline number, and be transparent that the founder carries more downside than the hire
  • Never disparage the competing offer; explain what only your company uniquely gives them (harder problem, real ownership, mission)
  • Read each candidate's motivation early (technical challenge vs. mission) and tailor the panel and the pitch to it so they feel chosen, not slotted
Open on review.firstround.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. How do I make a compelling offer and close a candidate who has a competing offer from a big company?

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