Hiring your next marketer? Why “wait until it hurts” might save your team

Hiring is one of the most expensive, high-stakes decisions a marketing team can make. Yet too often, teams hire reactively—chasing growth, trends, or a vague sense of being too busy.

But what if the right time to hire isn’t when you’re feeling busy, but only when you’re hitting real business limits?

That’s the approach taken by 37signals, the software company behind Basecamp and HEY. Co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson recently explained their “hire when it hurts” philosophy on The REWORK Podcast. Their method is simple: delay hiring until the absence of a role causes clear, repeated limitations.

This article breaks down how that works, and why it’s worth considering for marketers facing budget pressure, competing priorities, or rapid growth.

Short on time?

Here’s a table of contents for quick access:

• Inside the “hire when it hurts” philosophy
• Why being busy isn’t the same as being understaffed
• The cost of hiring before the need is real
• When it makes sense to act fast
• What marketers should take from this

Inside the “hire when it hurts” philosophy

At 37signals, hiring decisions are tied directly to pain points. As Jason Fried puts it: “We don’t hire in anticipation of pain. We hire when we feel the pain.”

The criteria are straightforward. If important work is being dropped, quality is slipping, or product momentum slows down—and the issue is sustained—then a hire is considered. Otherwise, the team stays lean.

For marketers, the message is clear: not every challenge means you need more people. The standard should be whether critical work is consistently left undone.

Why being busy isn’t the same as being understaffed

David Heinemeier Hansson emphasized that frustration alone doesn’t justify hiring. Spikes in demand—launches, busy seasons, or campaign pushes—are expected. The key is tracking the moving average of pressure, not reacting to a tough week or two.

In practice, that means evaluating hiring needs based on recurring gaps, not one-off struggles. Marketers should ask: Is this pressure ongoing? Are we consistently falling short on goals that matter to the business?

If not, the answer may not be a new hire. It may be a reprioritization.

The cost of hiring before the need is real

One example from the podcast stands out. 37signals hired a full-time legal counsel, expecting legal complexity to increase. But there wasn’t enough consistent legal work to support the role.

To stay active, the hire began creating more legal work—filing global trademarks and reviewing edge cases. The result? Over US$125,000 spent on activities that didn’t improve the product or protect the business in meaningful ways.

Marketing teams face similar risks. Bringing on a strategist, analyst, or content producer too early can create process bloat or low-impact work. Hiring to “stay ahead” often ends up slowing things down.

When it makes sense to act fast

The exception? When the right candidate appears—and the need is already clear.

37signals recently hired a new marketing head earlier than planned. They weren’t actively searching, but the candidate became available and aligned with a near-term strategic gap. Rather than opening a long search months later, they moved quickly.

Marketing leaders can apply the same logic. If a candidate fits a well-defined role you expect to fill soon, it may be worth fast-tracking. But the trigger should still be business need—not the fear of missing out on talent.

What marketers should take from this

Here are four takeaways to guide your next hiring decision:

1. Measure the pain over time Use a longer time horizon. Is this a recurring problem, or just a seasonal spike?
2. Check whether the work is essential Are we unable to complete core marketing activities that drive growth or retention?
3. Avoid roles without clear outputs Don’t hire someone just to “own” a function. Make sure there’s a backlog of meaningful work tied to business value.
4. Stay flexible, but stay honest A great candidate isn’t a reason to invent a role. But if you're already heading in that direction, be ready to move.

Lean hiring helps focus on what matters

Hiring should be a solution to a business problem—not a reaction to a busy quarter. For marketers balancing growth targets, shifting tactics, and shrinking budgets, this principle can create sharper, more focused teams. Wait until the work demands it. Then hire with clarity.

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