Building and Scaling a Digital Twins Startup Team

A startup developing a platform that transforms physical spaces into digital twins and interactive virtual experiences. Its product combines 3D, augmented reality, and virtual reality capabilities to bring real-world environments into digital formats.

We began working with the company shortly after its establishment, when the founders needed to assemble the team that would develop the product.

The founders were building a team from the ground up with limited time and budget. They needed to define the right candidate profiles, find suitable professionals, and assess whether those people could contribute effectively in an early-stage startup.

Technical experience was important, but the roles also required independence, initiative, and an ability to work within a developing organization. The hiring approach had to balance these requirements with the company’s budget and development deadlines.

As the product and business grew, hiring needs extended beyond software development. The company needed a way to add new capabilities while keeping recruited specialists integrated with the existing team.

We provided dedicated specialists selected against the startup’s requirements. We worked with the founders to define candidate profiles and sourced primarily in Eastern Europe, widening access to experienced professionals within the available budget.

The engagement began with full-stack developers who joined the product team at its early stages. As the company expanded, we recruited product managers, QA engineers, and professionals for non-technical roles.

Our support continued after selection. We handled payroll and leave administration, maintained regular contact with specialists and the client, and supported their integration into the company’s team.

Candidate Profiles Built Around Startup Needs

We worked with the founders to understand the product, immediate responsibilities, and expectations for each role. We shaped the search criteria around relevant experience, the ability to work independently, and the available budget. This gave the team a practical basis for evaluating candidates against the work they would perform.

Targeted Sourcing and Assessment

We searched for candidates against the agreed profiles rather than relying on a fixed bench. Assessment included CV review, a screening call, technical interviews, communication and English evaluation, and a test task before the client interview. We also supported technical interviews, reducing the assessment work required from the founders while keeping them involved in selection.

Hiring Alongside Company Growth

The initial developers joined while the product was still taking shape. As requirements changed, we expanded recruitment into product management, QA, and later non-technical functions. This allowed the engagement to follow the company’s actual hiring needs across different stages of growth.

Team Integration and People Support

We supported specialists as dedicated members of the client’s team. Regular one-to-one meetings and team calls provided opportunities to discuss the engagement and address issues affecting day-to-day work. Payroll and leave administration were managed by Olive, reducing routine operational responsibilities for the founders.

The specialists recruited by us contributed to the development and launch of the startup’s commercial product. The relationship expanded with the company, covering additional functions as its product and organizational needs evolved.

A team established for product development

The startup brought in professionals suited to its technical requirements, working environment, and budget, enabling the founders to move forward with development.

Commercial product launched

Recruited developers contributed from the early stages of the platform through its launch. The company subsequently began serving customers and expanding its business.

Hiring expanded across the organization

By 2023, Olive had filled most of the company’s roles, extending the engagement beyond engineering into product, QA, and non-technical positions.