In this episode of Alooba’s Objective Hiring Show, Tim interviews Nicolaas, the first hire at Growblox, about the invaluable role of networking in building a career, especially in the tech and data fields. Nicolaas shares his journey and experiences as the first tech hire in a startup and the unique challenges of hiring in an early-stage company. The conversation delves into the balance of technical and soft skills in data roles, the influence of AI on the hiring process, and the importance of maintaining warm professional relationships. Nicolaas provides insights into effective hiring practices, especially for data roles, and discusses potential future improvements in hiring processes with AI.