Hire when it hurts

Don't hire for pleasure; hire to kill pain. Always ask yourself: What if we don't

hire anyone? Is that extra work that's burdening us really necessary? Can we

solve the problem with a slice of software or a change of practice instead? What

if we just don't do it?

Similarly, if you lose someone, don't replace him immediately. See how long

you can get by without that person and that position. You'll often discover you

don't need as many people as you think.

The right time to hire is when there's more work than you can handle for a

sustained period of time. There should be things you can't do anymore. You

should notice the quality level slipping. That's when you're hurting. And that's

when it's time to hire, not earlier.