Ready to hire your first data person? Start here instead.
Before you post that job req, let me audit your data chaos and build you a foundation that'll make your first hire 10x more effective.
Why most first data hires fail
Hiring data talent without the right foundation is expensive
Your new hire spends 6 months just figuring out your data mess
Instead of generating insights, they're untangling Stripe, Salesforce, and Google Analytics with no documentation or clear definitions.
They build dashboards nobody trusts or uses
Without proper foundations, your expensive hire creates pretty charts that show conflicting numbers and erode confidence in data.
They focus on fancy ML when you need basic reporting first
Your new data scientist wants to build recommendation engines while you're still manually calculating monthly recurring revenue in spreadsheets.
Build the foundation first, hire the talent second
I'll do the heavy lifting of building your data foundation so your first hire can focus on insights, not infrastructure. When you're ready to hire, they'll have clean pipelines, trusted metrics, and a clear roadmap—not 6 months of cleanup work.
Hi, I'm Adrian
I'm the first data hire startups call when they need to scale fast.
I've been the first data hire at two VC-backed startups: Pave (where I boosted product signups 250% and scaled data infrastructure from 20 to 160 employees) and WellSaid Labs (where I uncovered $1M+ in misstated revenue and built analytics supporting $9M+ ARR).
Before startups, I spent years at Gap Inc., GE Healthcare, and Nordic Consulting building analytics that actually moved the needle—from reducing hospital patient stays 20% to delivering solutions generating $10K+/month per client. See my full background on LinkedIn.
I'm also the creator of Fondeeyo.com and REMarketPulse.com. So, I know exactly what it's like to be a founder who needs data insights yesterday but doesn't have time to build the infrastructure.
Experienced Analytics Engineer for Startups
I've spent years building data foundations that actually work for growing companies
Modern Data Stack Expert
Deep experience with dbt, SQL, Python, and modern dashboarding platforms like Tableau, Looker, and others. I know the tools that work and the ones that don't.
Startup-Focused Approach
I understand the unique challenges of early stage companies — rapid growth, limited resources, and the need for quick wins.
Production-Ready Solutions
No academic theory. Everything I build is designed to scale in the real world with real deadlines.
Why hiring your first data person right now is expensive
The hidden costs of hiring before you have the right foundation
$120K+ salary for 6 months of infrastructure work
You're paying senior-level salary for someone to do plumbing work—connecting APIs, cleaning data, and figuring out what everything means.
Wrong hire for your actual needs
Without knowing what you need, you might hire a data scientist when you need an analyst, or an engineer when you need a generalist.
6+ months before you see any value
By the time they understand your data, build basic reporting, and start generating insights, you've spent half their annual salary on setup.
Frustrated hire who may leave
Data people want to solve interesting problems, not spend months on infrastructure. Poor setup leads to poor retention.
Having to hire again in 12 months
If your first hire doesn't work out due to poor setup, you're back to square one—but now with even messier data and lost time.
6 months of salary with minimal business impact
Your new hire spends their first half-year on setup instead of solving business problems—that's $60K+ in salary alone before you see real value.
What you get before you hire
First hire accelerators that set your team up for immediate success
Complete Data Audit + Hiring Plan
Full analysis of your data landscape plus exactly what skills and experience your first hire should have
dbt Foundation
Production-ready dbt project with core business metrics, staging models, and automated data tests
Priority Dashboards
Essential dashboards covering growth metrics, customer health, and business performance
90-Day Roadmap
Step-by-step plan to expand your analytics foundation as your startup scales
First Hire Onboarding Package
Documentation, training materials, and 90-day plan so your new hire can be productive from week one
Job Description Template
Perfect job req template with specific skills, interview questions, and salary benchmarks for your market
Ready to set up your first hire for success?
Tell me about your data situation and hiring timeline—I'll get back to you within 24 hours
Quick Response
I'll get back to you within 24 hours with next steps and any questions about your specific situation.
What Happens Next?
- I'll review your current data setup
- We'll schedule a 30-minute discovery call
- I'll send you a custom audit proposal
- We can start your audit within a week
Prefer to Schedule a Call?
Book a 15-minute discovery call to discuss your analytics needs directly.
Schedule Call