Don Fogarty - Head of Talent | Attio

In this episode of The DexFactor Podcast, Paddy sits down with Don Fogarty, Head of Talent at Attio, the AI-native CRM redefining the category and scaling fast, growing from 8 to 100+ people under Don’s guidance. Don shares the pivotal moments in his career, from executive search and startup consulting, to building one of London’s most admired hiring engines. This is a conversation packed with hard-earned wisdom, practical insights, and a clear-eyed look at what it really takes to build a high-performance team at speed. 🔍 In this episode: 🧠 What makes a great hire vs. a good one (hint: it’s all about “negative maintenance”) 🎯 How Attio landed a world-class engineer via a year-long Twitter courtship 🤖 Why hiring recruiters has become one of the hardest jobs in tech 💡 The hidden traits of top recruiters—and why it’s not about process 🧩 What startup candidates get wrong when applying (and how to stand out) 💬 Why early transparency is the most underrated part of the hiring journey Don also offers candid advice to candidates about negotiating startup offers, evaluating equity vs salary, and understanding whether a startup role is truly the right fit. 🎙 If you’ve ever struggled with hiring, debated the right time to add a recruiter, or questioned how to spot talent that truly moves the needle—this episode is for you.