Connecting high-growth companies with exceptional engineering talent.
Four years. One engineering team, built alongside them.
Origin. Formative's founder, Jordan Wan, was an early investor in Dispatch. When they closed their round and began building engineering from zero, we ran the first search, and every engineering search since.
The work. Our first move wasn't sourcing; it was widening the pool. Dispatch had searched NYC and SF only; we opened it to fully remote from day one, changing the caliber of what was possible. Over four years that compounded into seven hires across the full seniority range:
- Engineering Leadership: helped build the org from the ground up, defining the hiring plan, setting the technical roadmap, and establishing the culture the team still runs on.
- Staff Engineers: lead architecture and technical decision-making, and have driven a series of major feature launches.
- Senior Engineers: shipped from week one, took ownership of core systems, and have since grown into tech leads and mentors for newer hires.
“Formative has been a true partner to Dispatch since our earliest days as a company. Jack and the Formative team have helped us hire across every level of engineering, from senior leadership to individual contributors, while our needs, team structure, and priorities have continued to evolve through multiple phases of growth. What stands out most is how well Formative understands our culture and technical bar, so the candidates they bring us consistently feel like a strong fit. Multiple years in, Jack feels like an extension of our own team rather than an outside vendor. I know I can trust Formative to understand what we need and help us find the right people to build the team.”
We launched our engineering recruiting division in 2020, when the hiring landscape drastically shifted due to the pandemic. It was clear that many of our GTM clients were prioritizing growth for the technical teams behind their products.
What began as a small number of selective engineering searches quickly gained momentum. As the practice developed, Jack Luby emerged as a dedicated specialist with a strong instinct for connecting high-growth companies with exceptional engineering talent. Today, he leads engineering searches with the same thoughtful, relationship-driven approach Formative brings to go-to-market recruiting, helping our clients build the teams that power both their product and their growth.
We take on a small number of technical searches each year. We’re always excited to meet new founders, so please reach out if we can be a resource.