Hiring guides for consumer founders.
Written by Simon Cook from the searches he runs and the hires he made at Apex.
- September 2026
The Suma Five: an executive interview scorecard
An executive interview scorecard for venture-backed consumer startups, with an editable Google Sheet.
- September 2026
Your first finance hire
When a consumer startup needs its first finance hire, what level to hire at, and what to look for.
- October 2026
When to hire a CFO
When a CFO earns their keep vs when a Head of Finance is enough, and why personality fit matters more than their CV.
- October 2026
Fractional or full-time
The real cost of each, where fractional works, where it fails, and a rough rule by revenue.
- October 2026
Executive equity at seed and Series A
How much, on what terms, how to set it up in the UK, and the ways founders go wrong.
- October 2026
Checking a senior candidate when the CV might be AI-written
How to check what a senior candidate has actually done, when the CV and the interview prep might be AI-assisted.
- October 2026
When to hire a COO
The signals that it's time, COO or Head of Operations, what to pay, and what good looks like in the first 90 days.
- October 2026
Hiring after a Series A
What changes after the round, the senior hires that usually come next, and how to time them around the raise.
Thinking about a senior hire?
Start with a Senior Hire Review: a session on who to hire next and what to pay them, followed by a written plan.