Fractional Talent Partner for Startups
We embed with your team to hire top talent across GTM, engineering, product, and leadership — from your first key hire to building out your leadership team.
The Problem
You're expected to recruit like a mature company — without the team, tools, or time to do it.
Every hour you spend sourcing, screening, and scheduling is an hour not spent on product, customers, or growth.
A misaligned hire at the seed or Series A stage doesn't just cost salary — it costs momentum, morale, and months you can't get back.
A junior recruiter on W2 with benefits is a fixed cost on an unproven process. A Head of Talent at $180K+ is too much, too soon. Neither scales with your actual hiring needs.
Traditional agencies send resumes that look right on paper but miss the culture, stage, and pace of an early-stage company.
"primer started from a simple observation: early-stage companies don't need more recruiters. They need someone who can step in, build the hiring engine, and run it like an operator. Because early-stage hiring is too important to treat like a transaction."— Ryan McGuinness, Founder of primer
The Solution
primer plugs directly into your company as a fractional Head of Talent — running the full hiring process across GTM, engineering, product, and leadership so you can stay focused on building.
Proactive outreach to find the best candidates — not just the ones who happen to apply. We go where great talent actually is.
From intake to offer letter. We own the pipeline, manage interviews, and handle the back-and-forth so nothing falls through the cracks.
We join your Slack, attend your standups, and think like a member of your team — not a vendor you check in with once a week.
Every candidate gets a thoughtful, responsive experience — because how you hire is often the first impression of how you operate.
We help you think through org design, role scoping, and sequencing — so you're building a team that scales, not just filling seats.
Ramp up for a big hiring push, pull back when you're set. No long-term lock-in, no bloated agency retainer.
Why primer
primer is led by Ryan McGuinness — a talent and org partner with 15+ years embedded inside early-stage technology companies, working directly with founders on hiring across GTM, engineering, product, and leadership.
Ryan has spent his career operating as a trusted external partner to founders and leadership teams — not a vendor, but an extension of the team during the stages that matter most.
Sales, RevOps, Marketing, Engineering, Product, and Leadership. Ryan has led searches across the full organization — wherever the highest-leverage hire is, that's where the focus goes.
Ryan helps founders decide what to hire, when to hire, and what not to hire yet — bringing pattern recognition from building teams across multiple companies and growth stages.
"primer reflects how I've always believed recruiting should work. Fewer clients, real ownership, and hiring done with care."— Ryan McGuinness, Founder of primer
Roles Ryan has placed
The honest math
If you're hiring 5 roles averaging $150K in base salary, here's what your options actually cost — and what you're getting for it.
* Contingency fees based on industry standard 20–25% of first-year base salary. Internal recruiter costs include base, benefits, and employer taxes.
Work With Us
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll learn about your company, the role you need to fill, and whether primer is the right fit. No commitment, no pitch deck.
Book a free call →Role scoping session — We help you clarify exactly what you're hiring for before we start.
Dedicated sourcing — Proactive outreach to qualified candidates within days of kickoff.
Full pipeline management — We run every stage from first outreach to signed offer.
Embedded in your team — In your Slack, aligned on your culture, moving at your pace.
Flexible engagement — No long-term contracts. Scale up or down as your needs change.
FAQ
Book a free 30-minute call — no commitment, no pitch.
Book a free call →Currently taking on 2 new clients this month.