Paid diagnostic. Fee credited if we run the search.

THE WRONG EMBEDDED HIRE COSTS 6–12 MONTHS

Stop hiring on vibes, CV keywords, and “we’ll figure it out later”. Fix the role before you recruit with a focused 75–90 minute working session.

Book Reality Check See what we cover Best for founders and engineering leaders building physical products.

What you get Role clarity, failure risks, hiring plan, and an interview scorecard that matches reality.

What you avoid Hiring “full-stack embedded unicorns”, mis-scoped roles, and late discovery after HW lock.

What we are not A free consult. This is decision work. If it does not make sense, we tell you.

$1,500 USD

75–90 minutes. Fee credited if we proceed with retained search.

Critical hires only

Pressure-test the role and scope
What the person must own, what they must not own, and what you’re forgetting.
Identify where this hire will fail in year one
Technical, process, culture, interfaces, and hidden constraints.
Decide: one hire, two hires, or none yet
You might need a contractor, not a full-time engineer. Or vice versa.
Define the interview + evaluation system
Behavior signals, test tasks, and scorecard that match embedded reality.

Fast filter: If you want 10 CVs by Friday, leave now. If you want a hire that ships and stays, book it.

Why embedded hiring fails (predictably)

Most “embedded” roles are actually three roles stitched together. You only find out after the hire is drowning, the team is angry, and the schedule is dead.

Underspecified roles “Needs embedded” is not a spec. Interfaces, constraints, and ownership are missing.

CV screening Keywords beat behavior. Nobody tests worst-case thinking, debugging habits, or judgment.

Late risk discovery Risks show up after HW lock, integration, EMI, timing, or field failures.

The Reality Check forces the uncomfortable answers now, not after you burn 6–12 months.

SYSTEM where hiring risk hides red = failure point

Sensors
noise, drift, timing

Wrong Hire
bad judgment

MCU / SoC
ISR, RTOS, DMA

Board / Power
EMI, brownouts

Test + Release
coverage, worst-case

Deliverables you can actually use

Not a vague call. You leave with artifacts you can hand to your team.

1) Role Pressure-Test

Ownership boundaries, interfaces, constraints, and the real “done” definition.

2) Failure Map

Where the hire will fail inside 12 months if you recruit as-is, and what to change.

3) Interview System

Scorecard + technical screens that test embedded behavior, not buzzwords.

“If the role doesn’t make sense, I’ll tell you. That alone saves months.”

“The diagnostic is credited if we proceed with the hire. If we don’t, you still keep the clarity.”

Pricing

Say it plainly. If you hide prices, you attract free-consult hunters.

Embedded Hiring Reality Check

75–90 minute working session (Zoom). Ideal for 1 critical hire.

$1,500 USD

Crediting: If we proceed with retained search, this fee is credited.

Includes: Role pressure-test, failure map, interview scorecard outline.

Retained Search (if you proceed)

Typical retained search is priced as a percentage of first-year total compensation. If you want an exact quote, you do the Reality Check first so the scope is real.

Optional add-ons after the session:
• Full role write-up + scorecard pack
• Take-home task design for firmware/electronics/FPGA
• Team interview training (how to avoid low-signal interviews)

Ready to stop guessing?
Book the Reality Check. Fix the role. Then recruit.

Book Reality Check Email us

FAQ

Common objections. Straight answers.

Is this just a sales call?

No. It is paid decision work. If your role is confused, we fix it. If the hire is premature, we tell you. If you only want CVs, you are on the wrong page.

What should I bring to the session?

Your current job description (even if it is rough), product context, team map, constraints (timeline, tooling, HW status, regulatory), and examples of the work you need done in the first 90 days.

What do I get after the call?

A clear scope, hiring plan, and an interview structure you can actually run. If we proceed with search, we convert that into the final role brief and evaluation process.

Who is this for?

Founders and engineering leaders building physical products. Embedded, firmware, electronics, FPGA, safety-critical, robotics, industrial, medtech, automotive, aerospace.

What if we are not ready to hire?

Then you just saved yourself months. Many teams need a contractor, a test strategy, a hardware change, or a reshaped role before any hire makes sense.

Contact

If you want to sanity-check a critical embedded hire, book the session. If you want a free consult, do not.

Book Reality Check hello@runtimerec.com Back to top