Phasecraft’s Guide to Early-Stage Deep Tech Hiring: Building Teams When Talent is Scarce

Imagine trying to build a world-class technical team when your entire global talent pool consists of only a few hundred qualified experts. This isn’t a hypothetical challenge – it’s the reality Phasecraft faced when building their quantum computing startup. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, co-founder Ashley Montanaro shared their unique approach to this seemingly impossible task.

Understanding the Talent Landscape

The scarcity of quantum computing expertise is stark. As Ashley notes, there are only “numbers in the hundreds, let’s say, have been like worldwide who have the right expertise.” This extreme constraint forced Phasecraft to develop innovative approaches to talent acquisition and team building.

Leveraging Academic Networks

Rather than competing head-on for scarce experienced talent, Phasecraft found success by tapping into academic networks. They began by “working with some PhD students at Bristol and at UCL in London and also managed to convince the fantastic postdocs to join us full time.” This approach provided access to emerging talent while maintaining high technical standards.

The Academic-to-Industry Bridge

The transition from academia to industry brought unexpected advantages. Ashley, who made this transition himself, notes that “as an academic you do things like leading a team, you obviously communicate the work you’ve done to others, you promote your own research, you have a lot of responsibilities in terms of supporting other people’s careers.”

This experience helped Phasecraft understand how to identify and develop talent from academic backgrounds. They recognized that many academic skills transfer well to startup environments, particularly in deep tech where research and development are closely linked.

Building for Cultural Fit

In a field where technical talent is scarce, cultural fit becomes even more crucial. Ashley emphasizes finding people who are “aligned with the ethos of the company” and “very strong technically, but they’re also people you would like to have on your team.” This dual focus on technical excellence and cultural alignment helps ensure new hires contribute to both innovation and team dynamics.

The Pre-Seed Strategy

During their pre-seed phase, Phasecraft took a strategic approach to early hiring. Working with investors like UCL Technology Fund and Parkwalk, they focused on building a foundation that could support both technical innovation and commercial development.

Maintaining Technical Credibility

For deep tech startups, technical credibility is crucial for attracting talent. Ashley emphasizes that “it’s critically important that you don’t over promise and only say things which you believe you actually can deliver.” This approach helps build trust with potential hires who often have multiple opportunities available to them.

Looking Ahead: Building for Scale

Phasecraft’s approach to hiring aligns with their three-to-five-year vision of achieving quantum advantage. Their focus remains on building a team that can help them reach the point where they’re “using quantum computers to have solved genuinely important problems from elsewhere in science and engineering.”

The Deep Tech Hiring Playbook

For founders facing similar talent constraints, Phasecraft’s experience offers valuable lessons:

1. Leverage academic networks as a source of high-potential talent
2. Look for transferable skills from academic environments
3. Balance technical excellence with cultural fit
4. Build credibility through realistic promises and clear communication
5. Focus on long-term potential when evaluating early-stage hires

This approach has helped Phasecraft build a technical team capable of pushing the boundaries of quantum computing while maintaining a clear focus on commercial applications. For deep tech founders facing similar talent constraints, it offers a blueprint for building teams in emerging fields where traditional hiring approaches may fall short.