Johnson: Early-Stage Startups Should Hire Fewer, Higher-Paid People
Eugene Johnson · How Eugene Johnson, CEO of Revi is Disrupting Retail Transactions with AI and Customer Data · Feb 24, 2026 · at 23:08
Eugene Johnson, founder and CEO of Revi, reflects on early talent acquisition mistakes and the lessons he learned about hiring experienced operators.
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“If I were to start over, that those first five, 10 people that I brought into the company, I would spend more and hire less. Versus hiring more and spending less per person. So if I had a million dollar budget, instead of trying to hire 10 people who can, I can pay a 100,000, I'd hire four that I paid 250 K to. And that one shift, I think, would have changed a lot.”
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