CASE STUDY: When a startup is looking for more than just an employee
Startups face a unique challenge: they can’t compete with large companies in terms of salaries or job stability. Instead, they offer vast opportunities for growth and higher long-term rewards. As a result, when they want to attract people who will truly participate in the project’s development, they often offer shares instead of a salary.
Recruitment in such a context requires a completely different approach. The ideal candidates are those who believe in the founders’ vision and genuinely want to build the product with passion and commitment — not just complete assigned tasks. In other words, they need to share the startup’s values.
Magda Wrońska, founder of the FinFun startup developing a family financial education app, has experienced these challenges firsthand — and chose a completely different solution.
Traditional recruitment in the startup world has its limits
FinFun was founded by Magda and her husband. They didn’t need a large team, only a few dedicated individuals who would be as involved in building the application as they were. Magda tried standard recruitment methods — especially posting in IT-oriented Facebook groups. The result? Mostly students without sufficient engagement or people looking for typical paid jobs.
When reading the Talenti newsletter, Magda came across a story about another recruitment case. It inspired her to try a new approach — and to reach out to us.
Why Talenti? Experts in value-based recruitment
Thanks to the long-term experience of its sister organization, the Mamo Pracuj Foundation, and cooperation with diverse partners, Talenti understands that in startups, it’s about more than a résumé. It’s about combining skills, values, and genuine commitment to the mission.
Talenti also has its own database of candidates — including people passionate about child development and programming. That represents a huge advantage over traditional recruitment, reducing the risk of mismatching candidates. What’s more, Talenti itself is a social-impact startup and deeply understands these types of challenges.
Collaboration and an unconventional solution
The recruitment process in this case demonstrated the power of a flexible and empathetic approach.
That’s how Dominika Wieczorek — a mother returning from maternity leave — joined the team. She saw the job post in our closed women’s community group. The ad immediately caught her attention, prompting her to contact Magda directly. That initiative itself showed determination and genuine interest — an early sign she was the right fit.
As it turned out, there was room at FinFun not only for Dominika but also for her husband, a programmer. Together with Magda and her husband, they created a small four-person “family team,” working in their spare time but with full dedication. As parents, they perfectly understood the startup’s mission and values.
“It’s a place for growth that allows me to fulfill both professional and personal aspirations. Working with Magda and the team gives me a sense of security and motivation. For me and my husband, it’s an opportunity to change careers and find a new professional path — and the family-like atmosphere helps us balance our responsibilities.” — Dominika Wieczorek, FinFun team member
Results: A team that acts like co-founders
The recruitment brought excellent results. The team works during their free time, yet no one needs supervision — everyone stays motivated. Communication flows naturally and efficiently since they share similar family experiences. As a result, the app is already in the programming phase, the startup has completed incubation, and the technical documentation is ready. The next stage will be testing and improving the app — but that’s not all. The team is already planning new educational projects for families. Most importantly, team members treat FinFun as the realization of their own dreams, not just another résumé entry. Their goal is to help children develop healthy financial habits that will serve them throughout adult life.
Conclusions: Startup recruitment is the art of connecting skills with mission
The collaboration between Talenti and Magda Wrońska’s startup shows that, in the world of startups, values and engagement matter just as much as competence. Recruitment based on shares requires finding true co-creators, not just employees. Matching life situations and product missions creates stronger teams than skills alone. Professional recruitment support opens access to candidates unreachable by traditional methods.
At Talenti, we know that flexibility, personalized attention, and understanding our clients’ needs are key. With this approach, startups can build teams that act like co-founders — with full engagement, passion, and readiness to create the future together. That’s the kind of synergy that creates the greatest value in the world of innovative projects.
