How Startups Interview React Freelancers
A deep dive into my experience as the sole developer in a startup tasked with interviewing React freelancers and agencies. From GitHub profiles to pixel-perfect designs, here’s everything I learned while trying to find the right talent.
🚀 Key Takeaways
- 🔍 GitHub matters – Active profiles and commits add credibility.
- 💼 Projects > Skills – Real shipped work is better than buzzwords.
- 🔒 Type safety is a must – Prevents confusion and improves collaboration.
- 🏗 Ownership counts – Don’t blame interns for bad code.
- ✅ Honesty wins – Transparent communication > flashy portfolios.
🧰 My Hiring Criteria
| Criteria | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| GitHub Activity | Shows growth, achievements, and real-world coding. |
| Real Projects | Demonstrates practical problem-solving skills. |
| Type Safety | Enforces clear contracts between components & APIs. |
| Code Ownership | Builds trust and accountability in delivered work. |
| Honesty | Helps avoid over-promising and under-delivering. |
🏁 The Process
1. Checking GitHub
The first thing I did before even scheduling calls was reviewing GitHub profiles. This gave me an unfiltered look at their:
- Coding style and commit history
- Side projects and contributions
- Overall consistency as a developer
A good GitHub profile is like a developer’s resume — but better.
2. Evaluating Projects
Many freelancers lacked solid projects. A single polished project with a clear README and live demo beats five half-finished repos.
Quality > Quantity
One good project > 5 incomplete ones
3. Verifying Client Claims
Some agencies listed big clients but couldn’t back it up with clean, working code. Client names mean nothing if the quality doesn’t match.
4. Ownership in Code Reviews
In one case, I found a custom hook that just called a single API. When I questioned it, they blamed interns.
🚩 Red flag. If you’re presenting code, own it.
5. Type Safety Is Not Optional
I personally required TypeScript for all submissions. It prevents miscommunication between backend and frontend and reduces runtime bugs.
6. Honesty and Pixel Perfection
We hired a talented freelancer who passed all checks… except pixel-perfect design.
The delivered UI looked like a 240p version of a 4K design.
Now, we require freelancers to code at least one test page before hiring.
📌 Lessons Learned
| Mistake I Saw | What It Signaled |
|---|---|
| No GitHub profile | Low visibility into skills |
| No real projects | Lack of practical experience |
| Blaming interns | Poor ownership |
| Ignoring type safety | Short-term coding mindset |
| Refusing test tasks | Lack of seriousness |
📚 Final Advice for Freelancers
If you want to stand out when applying to startups:
- ✅ Maintain an active GitHub
- ✅ Showcase real-world projects
- ✅ Embrace type safety
- ✅ Take ownership of your work
- ✅ Be transparent and honest
- ✅ Be willing to code a test task
📝 Conclusion
Hiring good React freelancers isn’t easy, especially in startups where resources are limited. But with the right approach — and by looking beyond resumes — you can find the right people who deliver value, not just code.
💡 Pro Tip for Freelancers: Startups value clarity, quality, and commitment more than anything else.
✍️ Author
Ritik Singh – Backend & Cloud Developer passionate about building scalable systems.
📂 Portfolio: crm.tomatotrails.com/portfolio
💼 LinkedIn: Ritik Singh
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