How to Attract A+ Engineers Without AMAZON Salaries

I hear a lot from Startup Founders:

“We can’t afford top engineers. FAANG salaries are too high.”

Here’s the truth: engineers don’t necessarily join startups for the paycheque alone—but they also won’t settle for a weak offer.

If you can’t match FAANG salaries (Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, & Alphabet), you need to compete where big tech can’t.

Here’s how:

• Sell Impact, Not Just a Job → FAANG engineers are often optimizing ads or fixing legacy code. At your startup, they want to build something that matters. Share with them how their work will shape the product and company.

  
  

• Equity Isn’t a Buzzword—Explain It Clearly → Saying “we offer stock options” isn’t enough. Break down vesting, dilution, and the real upside. A clear path to financial growth can outweigh a big paycheque for some people.

  
  

• Engineers Follow Other Great Engineers → No one wants to be the smartest person in the room. If you have strong technical leadership or a great team, make sure candidates see that.

  
  

• Give Them Autonomy → FAANG pays well, but it comes with layers of approvals and slow-moving processes. Talented engineers thrive in environments where they can make decisions and ship fast.

  
  

• Work-Life Balance & Flexibility Matter → Startups think they can win with “grind culture,” but most top engineers don’t want to burn out. If you can offer remote work, async collaboration, or a saner work pace, highlight it.

💡 Bottom Line: You don’t need a FAANG salary to hire A+ engineers—but you do need a compelling reason for them to bet on your startup.

What’s helped you hire great engineers without breaking the bank?

Share your insights below.

#hiringtips #recruitingstrategies #teambuilding #startups #bnvrecruiting