After a close relative lost £150k to scams, Alex Somervell, along with his business partner Jonny Pryn decided to take action.
They created Ask Silver, a straightforward and reliable way for people to check for scams.
Seven months after launching their MVP, they landed a paid pilot with a major UK bank and received national press coverage.
Critical to capitalising on this opportunity was strengthening the technical team through an experienced hire – someone who could bring both strategic thinking coupled with excellence in delivery.
The stakes were high
Ask Silver were looking for a senior backend engineer with AI experience, someone who could build Python systems from scratch and possibly step into a CTO role as the company grew.
With an important bank pilot deadline coming up, they had to act quickly but carefully. This hire wasn’t just about filling a position. The right person would shape their technical direction for the next 18 months and play a key role in meeting their bank partnership goals.
If they made the wrong choice, they could waste valuable time and money on rehiring, miss the pilot deadline, and risk chances of raising more funds.
Get it right, and they’d have someone who could accelerate everything.
Why top-quartile performers matter
Ask Silver knew they needed someone exceptional. They weren’t willing to settle for just “good enough,” and start-up data supports this:
Top performers are usually eight times more productive than average hires. They help companies reach growth goals three times faster and can help you raise funds twice as quickly. They also set higher standards and attract other talented people.1
When you’re in early growth stage, every hire has a big impact, for better or worse.
Who Ask Silver needed
Our skills-mapping process showed that they needed more than just Python skills. They were looking for someone who could:
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- Build systems that could scale while still delivering quickly, which is always a challenge in startups
- Handle regulatory issues in fintech
- Truly take ownership as the only technical leader
- Grow into a technical leadership role as the company expanded
- Adapt well to the uncertainty and fast changes that come with early-stage startups
- Feel a strong connection to Ask Silver’s mission to prevent fraud
We ran a focused search for candidates who had both the technical skills and understood the unique demands of the startup environment. Our process looked for people with the capabilities and behaviours needed to succeed when plans change often, and things aren’t always clear.
It took just 36 days from starting the search to getting an accepted offer.
The person we hired has more than seven years of backend development experience, strong Python skills, hands-on experience with cloud technologies and distributed systems, a history of leading as a solo engineer, the right mindset and a genuine commitment to Ask Silver’s mission to protect vulnerable people.
The impact
“Transformative,” said Alex Somervell, Co-founder of Ask Silver, of the new hire.
“The engineer brought on board has been transformative for our business. They’ve taken ownership of our technical infrastructure from day one and accelerated our development roadmap. The recruitment process was efficient and focused, bringing us exactly the talent we needed.”
This hire helped Ask Silver speed up work on their Know-Your-Transaction platform and move forward with their bank integration pilot. Driving growth, it allowed the founders to focus on business development and raising their next round of funding.
