December 04, 2025

E255: How to Hire the Top 0.1%

35 minutes

What does it take to recruit the top 0.1% of engineers in the world — and why has talent become the ultimate constraint in AI?

In this episode, I’m joined by Chris Vasquez, Founder & CEO of Quantum Talent, one of the most in-demand technical recruiting firms in the AI ecosystem. We discuss why elite engineering talent has become the core bottleneck in AI, how companies can actually attract S-tier builders, what founders get wrong about hiring, and why talent density—not headcount—is the strongest predictor of outcomes in today’s startup environment.

Highlights:

Why AI founders are “at war” — and recruiting firms are the arms dealers.

Defining S-tier talent: clear evidence of greatness, spiky abilities, and proven complexity-handling.

Capital is abundant; talent is the true constraint in modern AI company building.

Why companies must tell a compelling story if they lack high-signal founders or top-tier backers.

How AI’s rapid improvement reshapes recruiting needs — fewer engineers, but far more specialized ones.

The Sequoia-backed company that failed to hire until they raised their comp bands. (7 declines vs. 17 hires after fixing comp.)

Why founders should overpay strategically for the roles that matter most.

Key signals elite engineers look for: founding team quality, investor pedigree, mission clarity, and market upside.

Why “experience with greatness” de-risks execution in early-stage teams.

The #1 heuristic Chris wishes he learned earlier: “If you wouldn’t hire 100 of that person, don’t hire one.”

Guest Bio:

Chris Vasquez is the Founder & CEO of Quantum Talent, a specialized recruiting firm focused on placing elite technical talent into leading AI, frontier-tech, and enterprise software startups. Quantum works with hundreds of venture-backed companies and has partnered with 80% of Tier 1 VC firms, helping founders build high-density engineering teams capable of shipping breakthrough products.

With deep expertise in identifying the top 0.1% of engineers, researchers, and product leaders, Chris and his team have become one of the most trusted upstream partners in the AI ecosystem — operating at the intersection of talent, technology, and high-velocity company building.

Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at [email protected].

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David Weisburd: @dweisburd

Stay Connected with David Weisburd:

X/Twitter: @dweisburd

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Stay Connected with Chris Vasquez:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-vasquez-66137553/

Quantum: https://www.quantumtalent.io/

Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at [email protected]. [email protected].

(0:00) Introduction

(2:38) Talent Density and the Shift from Capital to Talent in Startups

(5:16) AI's Impact on Talent Recruitment and Compensation Strategies

(9:45) What S Tier Engineers Seek in Companies

(11:14) Establishing Talent Density by Overpaying Initial Hires

(14:28) The Role of Talent in Product-Market Fit

(17:21) Strategies for Recruiting Top AI Talent

(24:01) The Distinction Between Good and S-tier Recruiters

(27:43) Effective Recruiting Heuristics and Compensation Tactics

(30:23) Managing Internal Politics for High Compensation Hires

(31:48) Timeless Advice for Recruiters

(34:34) Closing remarks

...more

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By David Weisburd

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