Hiring Globally to Win Locally: Every’s Strategy for Startup Success

Meet Rajeev Behera, CEO at Every:

Rajeev Behera, CEO of Every, brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience to our Default Global podcast. His journey in the startup world has been defined by a rollercoaster of stories, blending family failures with remarkable successes.

A standout moment in Rajeev’s career was securing the first customers for his ventures. He vividly recalls the nerve-wracking experience of introducing Reflective, his first startup, to Optimize Lead, a company specializing in A-B testing. This initial success signaled that his vision had real-world value.

Now, at Every, Rajeev continues to witness the power of his ideas as customers use the platform for payments, bank accounts, and payroll processing.

Rajeev Behera’s journey offers profound insights into global hiring, remote work, employment compliance, and the challenges faced by tech leaders. Join us in our podcast as we explore these topics and more with Rajeev Behera, the CEO at Every.

Listen Up: Rajeev Behera, CEO at Every — Full Podcast Episode on Spotify

Watch Now: Vit’s In-Depth Talk with Rajeev Behera

Quick Read: Rajeev Behera, CEO at Every, Interview Highlights

Building A-Teams and Streamlining Back-Office Operations: A Conversation with Rajeev Behera

I asked Rajeev Behera, co-founder and CEO of Every, to share his journey as a serial entrepreneur, beginning with co-founding Reflective to now leading Every. He mentioned that one of the most memorable milestones was acquiring their first customers, signifying that their product was adding value. Rajeev emphasized that seeing a vision come true and customers using the product, whether in Reflective or Every, was a significant part of their journey.

Every: An All-in-One Back-Office Solution for Startups

One of the key challenges Rajeev faced in his first startup was managing back-office operations. He found himself juggling multiple systems for finance, accounting, HR, payroll, and benefits, which was both time-consuming and confusing. He realized that as a founder, he didn’t see these as separate functions but as admin work. This insight led to the creation of Every, an all-in-one solution designed to streamline back-office operations for startups.

Banking for Startups: The Every Difference

Every’s banking solution stands out due to its treasury offering, which is insured to an unlimited amount. This feature, Rajeev says, is particularly important for tech startups that have raised significant funding and need to ensure their dollars are safe. Every achieves this by buying U.S. treasuries, which are 100% backed by the government.

Building High-Performing Teams

Rajeev places a strong emphasis on building an A-team, explaining that the key to maintaining excellence is firing quickly if someone isn’t working out. This approach, he admits, requires confidence in the ability to rehire quickly, which can be challenging in markets like San Francisco where most A-players are picked up by leading tech companies. This led Every to expand their hiring efforts globally.

Expanding Teams Globally

For tech companies looking to expand globally, Rajeev advises that they have good processes in place. Remote teams require clear communication and strong processes, especially if they are in different time zones. He also suggests considering the language skills and talent pool of the target country. For example, he finds it easier to hire front-end developers in LATAM and back-end developers in India.

The Importance of Back-Channeling in Hiring

In his hiring process, Rajeev has found that back-channeling, or seeking feedback from a candidate’s previous colleagues and managers, provides more insight than the interview itself. He reasons that interviewing is a skill separate from job skills, and back-channeling helps to get a more honest picture of a candidate’s abilities and work ethic.

How Tech Talent Can Be Hired by Companies Like Every

For tech talent based outside the US hoping to join companies like Every, Rajeev suggests demonstrating strong communication skills and a passion for their work. They should also be able to clearly communicate their contributions to past projects and show that they have had ownership and created an impact.

Managing Costs in Economic Downturns

In a time of economic downturn, Rajeev advises startups to focus on optimizing their biggest cost: headcount. He recommends ensuring that the team is the right size and that each member is contributing effectively. If an employee isn’t performing, companies should feel comfortable letting them go and hiring someone who can contribute more.

Looking Ahead: Supporting Founders with Every

In the future, Every plans to launch a founder rewards program, offering cash back rewards and additional support to founders. This is in line with Every’s vision of making the founder’s life easier and rewarding them for their hard work.

This conversation with Rajeev Behera revealed valuable insights on building successful teams, managing back-office operations, and supporting founders. It also highlighted the potential of a global-first approach in hiring and maintaining growth during economic downturns.