Your First Hire: Getting It Right in the Early Stages
About this Event
Should you hire at all? Who first, and when? For founders in the earliest stages - sole founders or tiny teams - these questions can feel impossible to answer with confidence.
Join us for an informal, interactive lunch & learn with Alan Furley from ISL Talent, who'll share the common mistakes early stage founders make when hiring, and what he'd tell a founder on day one if he could. Expect honest stories from the very beginning: small budgets, high trust, and getting it right when there's no room for error.
Plenty of time for Q&A, plus the chance to bring your own hiring questions.
The session is fully-funded. What's included:
- Guest expert: Alan Furley from ISL Talent, sharing what actually works when you're hiring for the first time
- Free 1:1s after the talk: stick around and get Alan's take on your specific hiring plans
- Free hot desks all day: work from the venue before or after the session (limited spaces, so grab one early)
📅 Wednesday 23rd September 2026
🕐 12.15pm - 2.00pm
📍 Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation, Taunton TA1 1FH
The Somerset Innovation Hub + ISL Talent
The Somerset Innovation Hub is run by The University of Exeter, part of the world-renowned SETsquared partnership, in collaboration with Somerset Council. The Hub supports people who are building something new, developing a fresh idea, or rethinking how their business works - through workshops, events, and one-to-one advice.
ISL Talent is a Bristol-based tech recruitment agency helping startups and scaleups build great teams. Co-founded by Alan Furley and Henry Keeys, they take a people-first approach - acting as talent partners rather than traditional recruiters, with deep experience in the scaling challenges early stage and growth companies face.
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
