“I didn’t leave engineering—I applied it in a different way.”

The Transition from Engineering to Recruiting

Many people ask me why I left programming to dedicate myself to technical recruiting. After all, being a software engineer is one of the most lucrative careers today. Why step away from it?

The answer is simple: I didn’t leave engineering—I applied it in a different way. Recruiting isn’t just about finding candidates; it’s about deeply understanding the technical skills required for a role, identifying the right fit for a team, and helping engineers land jobs where they can thrive. It’s a technical problem, just like software development, and I approach it with the same analytical mindset.

Why Recruiting Captivated Me

From the moment I started understanding how the hiring market worked, I was fascinated. Interviewing candidates, identifying talent, and helping startups build high-performing teams felt just as fulfilling as writing code. It wasn’t just about matching résumés to job descriptions—it was about understanding the nuances of technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit.

But beyond that, I saw a gap in the industry. The traditional recruiting process often failed to properly vet technical candidates. Recruiters without an engineering background struggled to evaluate a developer’s true capabilities, leading to mismatches between companies and hires. This was especially true for startups, where every hire can make or break a team’s success.

Building the Recruiting Service I Wish I Had

At 22, 23, or 24 years old, I had no one to help me land my first software engineering job. Like many developers, I had to navigate the hiring process on my own, often facing interviews that seemed arbitrary, companies that didn’t understand what they needed, and job descriptions that didn’t align with reality.

That experience shaped my approach to recruiting. I knew firsthand what engineers needed to succeed in job searches, and I also understood what startups needed to hire top talent effectively. That’s why I built Silver.dev—to create the recruiting service I wish had existed when I was starting out.

What Makes a Technical Recruiter Truly Effective?

Most recruiters don’t come from a technical background. They focus on keywords and résumés rather than true technical capabilities. That’s where Silver.dev is different. As a software engineer and hiring manager myself, I bring a unique perspective to the hiring process:

1. Deep Technical Understanding – I can assess not just whether someone has worked with a technology but whether they have the depth of knowledge to solve real engineering problems.
2. Startup-Focused Vetting – Hiring for startups is different from hiring for large corporations. Startups need engineers who are adaptable, proactive, and capable of shipping products fast.
3. Interview Preparation for Real-World Scenarios – Many developers struggle with interviews because traditional hiring processes don’t always reflect real-world software development. We prepare candidates for what actually matters in a startup setting.
4. Matching the Right Talent to the Right Teams – Finding the right technical skills is one part of the equation; finding someone who aligns with a startup’s culture, team dynamics, and business goals is just as important.

The Role of a Technical Recruiter in Startup Hiring

For early-stage startups, hiring is one of the most critical functions. A bad hire can cost time, money, and momentum. But many startups don’t have the resources or expertise to conduct thorough technical evaluations. That’s where a recruiter with an engineering background makes a difference.

• We filter out noise – Instead of flooding companies with unqualified candidates, we send pre-vetted engineers who have already passed rigorous technical assessments.
• We save engineering teams time – Instead of pulling senior engineers away from core product development to conduct endless interviews, we handle the first layers of technical screening.
• We help startups build strong engineering cultures – Hiring isn’t just about skills; it’s about assembling a team that can collaborate effectively and drive the business forward.

Why Startups Trust Silver.dev

Silver.dev is more than a recruiting agency—it’s a talent partner for startups. We don’t just match candidates with open roles; we help startups build engineering teams that can scale and succeed in highly competitive markets.

By leveraging my background as a software engineer, I ensure that every developer we recommend is not only technically strong but also the right fit for a startup’s unique challenges.

Final Thoughts

So why leave a lucrative software engineering career for recruiting? Because this is the work I’m best suited for. Because I believe engineers deserve better hiring experiences. And because startups need a recruiting partner who truly understands the technical side of hiring.

If you’re a startup looking to hire exceptional software engineers, let’s talk. Silver.dev is here to help you build a team that can take your business to the next level.