Hire Your First 3 Engineers at a Deep Tech Startup (pre-seed)
The roles that actually matter when you have no time and no money
In the pre-seed phase of a deep tech startup, every hire must pull significant weight. With limited budget and no established brand, founders must recruit high-impact engineers who are adaptable, entrepreneurial, and motivated by the mission. This guide outlines how to prioritize roles, source talent, craft a compelling hiring strategy, structure equity, conduct interviews, and retain your first three engineering hires. The advice draws on best practices from robotics founders, venture-backed startups, and deep tech accelerators.
Role Prioritization: Critical Early Skill Sets
At pre-seed, you need versatile engineers who collectively cover the core technical domains of robotics and AI. Building robots is inherently interdisciplinary, so each early hire should bring expertise in a crucial area (and ideally wear multiple hats)medium.commedium.com:
Hardware Prototyping (Mechanical/Mechatronics Engineer): Someone who can design and build the physical robot – from CAD and 3D printing to assembling actuators and sensors. This person iterates quickly on prototypes and handles mechanical structure, drivetrain, and physical components.
Embedded Systems & Controls Engineer: An engineer skilled in electronics, firmware (C/C++/RTOS), and control systems. They integrate sensors, microcontrollers, and motors, and develop real-time control loops for robot motion and behaviordirectrecruiters.comdirectrecruiters.com. Proficiency in robotics middleware (e.g. ROS/ROS2) and system integration is highly sought after in robotics startupsdirectrecruiters.com.
Perception & AI Specialist: If your robot needs autonomy or intelligence, hire a specialist in computer vision, machine learning and sensor fusion. This engineer can develop algorithms for object detection, SLAM, path planning or other AI-driven featuresdirectrecruiters.com. As AI-driven robotics applications grow more complex, talent in deep learning and vision is increasingly valuabledirectrecruiters.com.
Full-Stack Roboticist / Systems Generalist (optional): Often one of the first hires is a generalist who can bridge hardware and software. They are comfortable troubleshooting everything from firmware bugs to high-level software. Their broad “systems engineering” view helps glue together mechanical, electrical, and AI components into one working systemmedium.com. In a small team, a “Swiss army knife” engineer who can tackle diverse tasks is invaluable.
Prioritize based on your team’s existing strengths and the product’s needs. For example, if the founder is a software/AI expert, the first hire might be a hardware/mechanical engineer to cover that gap. Conversely, a founding team with hardware experience might seek a controls/ML expert. The goal is to cover the 6–10 different disciplines (mechanical, electrical, perception, controls, software, firmware, etc.) needed to build a robot with just a few peoplemedium.com. Every early engineer should bring essential skills that move your prototype forward – there’s no room for niche specialists or “passengers” at this stage medium.comtechround.co.uk.
Talent Sourcing: Where to Find High-Impact Robotics Engineers
Finding top-notch robotics engineers for a tiny startup can be challenging – the best ones aren’t usually browsing generic job boardsbamboo-x.com. Leverage creative, targeted sourcing strategies:
Personal Network and Referrals: Start with people you know or those your connections can introduce. Y Combinator advises making a list of the best engineers you’ve worked with (or studied with), invite them to chat about your vision, and ask each for referrals if they’re not available[guzey.comguzey.com](https://guzey.com/links/#:~:text=,). In fact, investors note that your ideal “founding engineer is likely someone you’ve worked with or went to school with”sfstandard.com. Use alumni networks, former colleagues, and mentors to get warm leads on talent who trust you.
Universities and Research Labs: Tap into robotics and AI programs at top universities. Attend university career fairs, connect with professors or lab directors, or reach out to grad students/postdocs whose research aligns with your startup. Many cutting-edge roboticists are in academia; an enthusiastic student or researcher might jump at an impactful startup role (often for equity upside and real-world application of their work).
Hackathons and Robotics Competitions: Engage with communities like FIRST Robotics, DARPA challenges, or local hackathons focused on AI/robotics. These events are full of builders who love tough problems. You might meet a talented engineer at a hackathon or robotics club who’s eager to join a real startup adventure. Deep tech accelerators sometimes host hackathons or innovation challenges – a great way to spot passion and skill under pressure.
Open-Source Communities (ROS, GitHub): Robotics is fueled by open-source. Search GitHub for contributors to projects in your domain (e.g. ROS drivers, SLAM algorithms) and see who’s solving similar problemsbamboo-x.com. If someone has meaningful commits on a robotics repo or maintains a useful ROS package, they might be open to joining a startup. Engage on forums like ROS Discourse or robotics Stack Exchange – answering questions and sharing your vision can attract like-minded engineers.
Startup Job Boards and Communities: Post (and lurk) where startup-minded tech talent hangs out. Examples: Wellfound (formerly AngelList) for startup job seekers (you can filter for those open to equity-heavy roles), YC’s Work at a Startup job board (which attracts engineers already tolerant of early-stage chaos)bamboo-x.com, and the monthly “Who is Hiring?” thread on Hacker News. Communities like Indie Hackers or Reddit (r/robotics, r/MachineLearning) can also surface folks who tinker on side projects and might join an exciting mission.
Deep Tech Programs and Accelerators: Leverage networks from programs like HAX (SOSV), EF (Entrepreneur First), Techstars or Startupbootcamp (which has a robotics cohort). Even if you’re pre-seed, mentors and organizers in these programs might connect you to engineers who love startups. Similarly, industry groups and Slack communities for robotics/AI startups can be fertile ground for recruiting.
LinkedIn and Direct Outreach: Use LinkedIn to identify engineers at robotics companies, especially those at large companies who might crave a startup environment. Craft personal messages about why they specifically would be a great fit and the impact they could have. Highlight any common connections or shared interests in their profile. Note: generic “we are hiring” posts won’t stand out – targeted, passion-driven outreach works better for deep tech.
Be proactive and creative. The truth is, great engineers who thrive in early-stage chaos aren’t waiting around for a random job ad – you have to go find thembamboo-x.com. By tapping communities of builders and using referrals, you’ll increase your chances of landing talent that fits your high bar.
Hiring Strategy: Attracting Talent with Limited Cash & No Brand
Early-stage robotics startups can’t outbid Big Tech salaries, so you must win hearts and minds. Your pitch to candidates should emphasize mission, impact, and growth over short-term money. Here’s how to resonate with top engineers in this space:
Sell the Vision and Mission: Articulate a bold, world-changing mission that will excite an engineer’s imagination. Deep tech engineers are often motivated by solving hard problems that matter. Show them exactly what big challenge in robotics/AI your startup is tackling and why it could change the world (or at least an industry). For example, one founding engineer joined a startup because “they showed me they have an ambitious long-term vision, and I believed we can make it come true”sfstandard.com. Share your passion – if you inspire them with your vision, they’ll overlook the lack of a fancy office or famous logo.
Emphasize Ownership and Impact: Make it clear that as one of the first three engineers, they won’t be a cog in a machine – they’ll be a co-builder of the company. Use phrases like “founding engineer” or “early technical leader.” Explain that they will own entire subsystems and make foundational decisions, which is rarely possible at a larger firm. High-caliber engineers are often drawn to this kind of autonomy and influence. As one Silicon Valley founder put it, seek “someone who wants to be a founder but doesn’t want to do it right now”sfstandard.com – meaning the hire will get many of the thrills of founding (like significant equity and creative control) without having to be the CEO. This framing can attract entrepreneurial-minded engineers.
Highlight Learning and Growth Opportunities: In a robotics startup, an engineer might get to develop skills in hardware, software, AI, and product development all at once. Stress that they will grow their skill set rapidly by working on cutting-edge technology and solving novel problems. There’s no bureaucracy to hinder them – they can implement ideas immediately. Also mention any notable advisors, investors, or team credentials (if you have a PhD co-founder or backing from a known VC or accelerator, for example) to show they’ll be in an environment of top-tier mentorship and technical excellence.
Be Honest and Mission-Driven in Your Messaging: Authenticity goes a long way. Acknowledge that the startup journey is risky and hard, but reinforce why it’s worth it. Engineers who join pre-seed teams aren’t there for the salary – they’re there for the visionthink-it.io. So talk about the real-world impact of the product, the chance to “advance the state of the art” in robotics, or to build something that’s never been built before. Early-stage startups thrive on trust, energy, and a shared belief in the missiontechround.co.uk – let that come across in every conversation. Share your excitement for the problem and invite them to be part of the founding story.
Leverage Culture and Values: Give candidates a feel for your nascent culture. Maybe you value scrappiness, quick iteration, and learning from failure – traits vital in robotics. Point out that your first hires will shape the culture: how decisions are made, how feedback is given, how wins are celebratedtechround.co.uk. This can appeal to engineers who want a say in creating an ideal work environment. Also, if you can offer non-monetary perks like flexible hours or remote work (if compatible with hardware development), mention it – flexibility and work-life balance can partially offset lower paythink-it.io.
Personalize the Courtship: With no big brand to lean on, the founder’s own involvement is key. Reach out personally (no HR intermediaries) and, once a candidate is interested, spend ample time with them. Invite them to meet over coffee or at your lab/garage to see the prototype. Share your roadmap and even your fears – showing transparency builds trust. Some founders treat recruiting their first engineer like closing a co-founder: they “pull out all the stops” to convince the right personsfstandard.com. This might include having existing team or advisors talk to the candidate, providing references (reverse interviews) so the candidate can back-channel the founder’s reputationsfstandard.com, and generally making them feel deeply wanted. Make the hire feel like a pivotal team member from the start.
Bottom line: Craft a narrative where the candidate sees joining your startup as a once-in-a-career opportunity to do the most meaningful work of their life. When a candidate is intrinsically excited and believes in your mission, they’ll overlook the trappings of a big company. As one recruiter noted, compensation alone isn’t enough – top engineers also seek mission-driven work, growth potential, and strong technical leadershipdirectrecruiters.com. Show that your startup offers those in spades.
Equity & Compensation: Structuring an Equity-Heavy Package
With limited cash, you’ll rely on equity to attract and motivate your first hires. It’s common for early-stage deep tech startups to offer below-market salaries + generous stock options. Here are some guidelines on equity ranges and compensation structure for the first three engineering hires:
Significant Equity Stakes for Early Engineers: The first few employees of a startup typically receive equity in the single-digit percentages of the company, vesting over 4 years. Exactly how much depends on experience and how critical they are to the team. For a true “founding engineer” (employee #1 who is almost a co-founder), equity can be on the higher end – sometimes as much as ~5%, or even a co-founder-level stake if they are irreplaceablesfstandard.com. More commonly, a very early senior engineer might get on the order of 1% (give or take) at seed-stage companiestechcrunch.com. One founder noted she gave her first engineering hire 3% to ensure he was motivated for the long runtechcrunch.com. In many cases, early engineers join with 0.5% – 2% equity grants, scaling with how early and senior they aretechcrunch.com. The third or fourth hires might be closer to the lower end of that range (e.g. 0.5–1%), whereas the first engineering hire could be 1–2%+ if not designated a co-founder.
Equity Tied to “Employee Number” and Risk: The earlier someone joins, the more risk they take and the more equity they typically receivetechcrunch.com. For example, a key engineer who is the third person on the team (after two founders) might be viewed almost as a co-founder and get a very large chunk – some sources suggest on the order of ~5–10% is not unreasonable in those casestechcrunch.comsfstandard.com. By contrast, an engineer hired after you have an MVP and some funding might expect a smaller options grant (perhaps <1% if they’re junior). Use equity to reward early risk-taking – those first hires “definitely get a lot more stock than later employees”techcrunch.com. It’s also wise to communicate that these percentages are pre-dilution – as more funding comes in, their ownership % will dilute, so giving a healthy upfront slice is important to make the grant meaningful long-termtechcrunch.com.
Tiered Approach for First, Second, Third Hire: One way to structure it:
Engineer #1 (Founding Engineer): Highest equity. Could be ~2% if they are strong but not quite co-founder, up to ~5% if they are essentially co-founding CTO-level. Often comes with a title like “Head of Engineering” or “Founding Engineer”. Salary might be modest (some startups offer a stipend-level salary) to conserve cash, with the equity as the big carrot.
Engineer #2: Still very early, but joining once a bit more progress is made. Perhaps on the order of ~1% equity (+/- 0.5%). Salary maybe slightly closer to market than employee #1, but likely still below big-company levels.
Engineer #3: Maybe ~0.5–1% equity depending on their experience. If this hire is more junior or brought on to fill a specific gap, the equity could be lower, but it should still be meaningful. At this stage, you might have raised a pre-seed or seed, so you can pay a somewhat better salary, but many startups still keep early salaries lean (maybe 50-70% of market) until a bigger round is raised.
These ranges are illustrative – market data shows founding software engineers at pre-seed often get anywhere from ~1% up to ~5% in extreme casessfstandard.comtechcrunch.com. If the person is extremely pivotal (like the only hardware wizard or AI PhD who can build the core tech), err on the higher side to secure them. Remember you likely set aside ~10-15% of your company in an option pool for employees at seed stagetechcrunch.com, and you want to use a chunk of that to lock in your first 2–3 hires.
Vesting and Cliffs: All equity should vest – standard is 4 years with a 1-year cliff (so if they leave before 1 year, they get nothing). This is expected by candidates and ensures they are incentivized to stay. If someone is given a co-founder level stake (5% or more), double-check with your lawyers/investors, as very large grants might have custom vesting or roles attached.
Equity vs. Salary Trade-offs: Be upfront that you’re compensating with equity. Some early hires might prefer a bit more salary over equity or vice versa – if you have any flexibility, you can offer a mix (e.g. a candidate could choose between a higher equity/lower salary package or a slightly higher salary for a bit less equity). Many startups offer equity-heavy packages by default. For context, one report advises giving a senior engineer at seed stage ~1% and a junior engineer ~0.15%techcrunch.com – but in cutting-edge fields like robotics/AI, founders sometimes go above these benchmarks to win the talent. Indeed, facing fierce competition, some startups are now offering up to 5% equity for top “founding engineer” hires, or even naming them co-founders and granting 10–15% if that’s what it takessfstandard.com.
Other Compensation: While equity is the main lever, try to meet basic financial needs with salary if you can. Even if you can only pay, say, half of market salary, that can help an early hire cover living expenses. You can also defer some salary until funding closes (with a clear agreement) if they are amenable. Additionally, consider small perks that mean a lot: relocation assistance if they must move, or perhaps covering conference travel or equipment (a good laptop, robot parts) – these show support even if you can’t pay big money.
Transparency and Upside: When discussing the offer, educate them on what their equity could be worth if the company succeeds (without overpromising). Show that if the company becomes the next DeepMind or Tesla, their X% could be life-changing. Also be transparent about dilution (e.g. their 2% now might be ~1% after a Series A, etc.), and that the true payoff comes with an exit. This honesty builds trust, and motivated engineers will view the equity as a long-term bet alongside you.
In summary, make your first hires feel like true partners through equity. As one founder put it, early hires should feel like “co-builders, not just employees,” and stock options give them a tangible stake in the outcomethink-it.io. Getting this right not only helps you hire them, but also keeps them motivated to slog through the tough early years for that eventual reward.
Interview Process: Selecting for Skill and Startup Fit
When hiring deep tech engineers at the pre-seed stage, traditional corporate interview loops (with brainteasers or multiple bureaucratic rounds) won’t suffice. You need to assess practical skills, problem-solving approach, and cultural fit – and also give the candidate a taste of working at your startup. Here are strategies for an effective early-stage interview process:
Focus on Practical Challenges Over Puzzles: Tailor technical evaluations to mimic the kind of work they’ll actually do. For a robotics/AI startup, that might mean discussing how to design a specific system or reviewing code from a relevant project. Many founders find that talking through a candidate’s past projects is far more illuminating than abstract quiz questionsfundersclub.comfundersclub.com. Ask them to describe a tough problem they solved in robotics or a time they had to MacGyver a solution with limited resources. For example, one robotics founder’s interview “includes no actual coding. Instead, he asks candidates to describe products they’ve built, explain engineering choices, and talk about products they admire,” to test depth of thinkingsfstandard.com. This kind of discussion reveals their design philosophy, creativity, and whether they understand the “why” behind engineering decisions.
Include a Hands-On Component or Trial Project: There’s no better way to evaluate an engineer than seeing them in action. Consider a small paid trial project or on-site hack session. This could range from a two-hour coding exercise in a relevant codebase, to a take-home assignment (e.g. interface a sensor with a microcontroller, or analyze a dataset and detect objects), to even a short contract stint. Some startups invite the finalist to work with the team for a day or two – for example, Origami (a YC-backed startup) asks candidates to come in for a two-day work trial after initial interviewssfstandard.com. During a trial, you might pair program on a real problem or have them brainstorm on a current technical challenge. Make sure any trial assignment is scoped reasonably (you’re not looking for free labor, but rather how they approach problems, communicate, and learn). This not only lets you see their skills and collaboration style, but the candidate also experiences your culture and the kind of work they’d be doing – it’s a two-way evaluation.
Structured but Lightweight Process: Even though you’re small, have a clear interview plan. For example:
Initial call (founder screen): A casual conversation about their background and interests, and an enthusiastic pitch about your vision. Gauge their excitement and basic fit.
Technical deep-dive: This could be an in-depth discussion of a past project (ask them to prepare to talk about one in detail), or a whiteboard design exercise specific to your domain (“How would you design a vision system for a warehouse robot that does X?”). You’re looking for problem-solving approach, relevant knowledge, and resourcefulness more than memorized formulas.
Team fit and culture: If you have any other team members or advisors, include them in interviews to assess personality and values fit. Early hires must be low-ego, resilient, and willing to stretch beyond their job descriptiontechround.co.uk. You can screen for this with behavioral questions (“Tell me about a time you had to learn a completely new skill to solve a problem”) or hypothetical scenarios (“How would you handle it if our prototype fails the day before a demo?”). Look for optimism, curiosity, and comfort with ambiguity.
Trial project (optional): As discussed, a short, real-world task can be gold for evaluation. If not a full trial, even a take-home problem to discuss later can work.
References and back-channeling: Don’t skip this – ask for references from past managers or colleagues, and even use your network to quietly check their reputation if possible. In a tiny startup, one bad hire is devastating, so do your diligence. (Likewise, expect that top candidates will also be gauging your credibility – be ready to offer references, like investors or former coworkers, who can vouch for yousfstandard.com!)
Evaluate for Startup Mindset: Your interview should filter for those who will thrive in a startup. Signs of a good fit include: the candidate enjoys discussing product ideas (not just engineering); they say “we could try X” indicating collaborative, proactive thinking; they show excitement (eyes light up) at your tough technical challenges; they’re okay admitting what they don’t know (important in a frontier tech problem). Avoid candidates who seem too rigid or who only function with big-team support structures. You want builders who are comfortable with chaos and can figure things out without a playbook.
Sell While You Interview: Remember that top candidates likely have other options. Use the interview process not only to vet them, but to further sell the opportunity. Founders who successfully hire great talent often turn interviews into two-way conversations. For instance, share some interesting data or a demo of your prototype to get them intrigued. Show genuine excitement when discussing technical challenges – make them feel like they’ve peeked into the future by joining your meeting. One founder approached hiring their star engineer “like closing an important sales deal,” ensuring the team “wowed him during the interview process” and even offering up references to assure him of the company’s potentialsfstandard.com. Adopt that mindset: you are selling the candidate on why this is the most impactful place they could work.
Keep it Fast and Human: Big companies might drag candidates through 6+ interviews over weeks – as a startup, you should move quickly and stay flexible. If you find someone great, don’t hesitate. Also, treat them exceptionally well during the process: be respectful of their time, give prompt feedback, and be transparent about next steps. The way you conduct interviews signals your culture. A thoughtful, efficient process will leave a strong positive impression on candidates.
By the end of your process, you should have a holistic sense of each candidate: technical competence, problem-solving approach, cultural fit, and genuine interest in your mission. It’s wise to prioritize attitude and aptitude over exact experience (a brilliant engineer can learn ROS or a new ML model quickly, but you can’t teach curiosity or grit as easily). If you’ve done the above, you’ll likely identify the individuals who not only can do the job, but will thrive in the uncertainty of an early robotics startup.
Retention: Keeping Early Hires Motivated and Aligned
Hiring great engineers is only the start – keeping them engaged for the long haul is crucial, especially since they hold so much of your young company’s knowledge. Turn your first three hires into true partners in the venture. Here are early actions to ensure motivation and retention:
Foster a Co-Founder Mindset: Make early hires feel like co-builders, not just employeesthink-it.io. Invite them into big-picture discussions about product roadmap, pivot decisions, and company direction. When people feel ownership, they’re far more likely to stay through tough times. Granting equity (as discussed) is one part; day-to-day, show that you value their input on strategic matters beyond their immediate tasks.
Mission Alignment and Purpose: Continuously reinforce the mission and show how their work connects to it. In the whirlwind of prototypes and debugging, it’s easy to lose sight of why you’re building this robot. Remind the team in meetings, “We’re doing this to solve X problem that affects Y people.” Celebrate milestones in terms of impact (“Now our system can do ______, bringing us closer to helping people with ____”). Early employees stick around when they deeply care about the mission – “People at this stage aren’t here for the salary – they’re here for the vision”think-it.io. If they ever start to feel the mission is fading or unclear, their motivation will fade too. So be a constant champion of the purpose.
Equity and Upside Transparency: Help them visualize the payoff. Without going overboard, periodically reiterate how the equity they’re earning could be very valuable if you succeed. This is not to encourage short-term cash-out thinking, but to reinforce that they are building an asset for themselves. It instills a long-term mindset – they’re not just salaried workers, they’re entrepreneurs with you. Knowing that “if we make it big, we all win big” creates a shared sense of destiny.
Build a Trusting, Inclusive Culture: “Early-stage startups thrive on trust, energy and a shared belief in the mission,” and how you treat your first hires sets the tonetechround.co.uk. Be transparent with them – about challenges, runway, investor updates – so they feel respected and in-the-loop. Encourage a culture where feedback flows openly and wins are celebrated togethertechround.co.uk. Recognize their contributions publicly (even a shout-out in a team meeting or company email goes a long way to make someone feel valued). When people feel seen and appreciated, they develop loyalty.
Prevent Burnout (Sustainable Pace): In a robotics startup, there will be sprints of intense work (e.g. demo prep or grant deadline), but burnout is a real risk if crunch-time is constant. Keep an eye on your team’s workload and stress. Founders should model balance in whatever ways possible – e.g. if someone pulled an all-nighter to fix a hardware bug, insist they take a day off to recharge. If you can’t afford perks like catered meals or gyms, you can offer flexibility: let them work from home occasionally when possible, or accommodate personal needs. Show that you care about their well-being. A flexible work culture and respect for work-life balance (to the extent possible in a startup) helps retentionthink-it.io. People will give their all when needed, if they know the company respects their life outside work too.
Growth and Learning Opportunities: Early employees can fear that as the company grows, their role might change or more senior people will be hired above them. Mitigate this by painting a picture of their future with the company. If they’re strong, commit to their growth: e.g. “You could lead the entire robotics division in a few years” or “We’ll support you to become our head of AI as we scale.” Back this up with actions: give them increasing responsibility, maybe a new title as the team expands, or chances to mentor any new hires. Also consider sending them to relevant workshops or conferences (if budget allows even a small stipend) – this signals you’re investing in their development. Create a clear path so they see how they “fit into the company’s future,” which keeps them engagedthink-it.io.
Maintain the Fun and Passion: Early startups often have a camaraderie – the late-night problem-solving, the sense of “us against the world.” Keep that spirit alive even as you grow from 3 to 5 to 10 people. Do small team traditions: Friday demo sessions, celebratory beers after hitting a milestone, or hackathons on crazy ideas. These things build friendship and loyalty. When your first engineers feel they’re part of a tight-knit crew doing something special, it’s hard for them to imagine leaving. As one article noted, if they don’t feel like they’re “part of building something bigger,” they’ll be quick to leave for a more stable jobthink-it.io. So continually remind them (through both words and the company culture) that they are building something revolutionary and that they are crucial to its success.
Competitive Alignment (Later on): As you secure more funding, don’t forget to adjust compensation for your early hires. Nothing is worse than hiring employee #10 at a higher salary than your employee #2 who has been grinding for two years. Plan to give periodic equity refreshers or raises once you can afford it, to reward their loyalty. Early on, you can be open with them: “Right now we all take a pay cut; after we raise our Seed/Series A, I intend to bump everyone to more market-level.” This assures them that the current sacrifice isn’t forever. Retention isn’t just one moment – it’s an ongoing effort to ensure your team feels valued both financially and emotionally.
In essence, treat your first hires like founding team members. Give them reason to be as passionate about the company as you are. When early employees feel true ownership, alignment with the mission, and see personal growth, they will ride out the ups and downs rather than jumping ship at the first better offer. The result: a stable core team that sticks together to turn your robotics vision into reality. As Think-it’s startup retention guide put it, the best startups don’t just attract great talent – they keep themthink-it.io, and by implementing these practices from day one, you’ll do exactly that.