How top companies hire fullstack developers in India - a practical guide
Fullstack developers are prized hires for early-stage startups - they bring speed, flexibility, and ship end-to-end features without needing big teams. But hiring real fullstack talent (not just devs who know both HTML and Node.js) is tough in India.
Top startups have figured out a repeatable system to find and close these hybrid builders. Here’s how.
1. Where to find fullstack developers
Good fullstack devs hang out in different spaces than typical backend or frontend folks:
- LinkedIn: Search for “Fullstack Developer”, “Software Engineer”, or tech stack combos like “React + Node.js” or “Next.js + MongoDB”
- GitHub: Look for projects that span frontend + backend - clones, dashboards, admin panels, etc
- Dev communities: Discords like React India, IndieHackers India, and fullstack-focused Telegram groups
- Portfolio sites: Check out personal websites, project demos, or Figma-to-code builds
- Twitter/X and Dev.to: Devs often post their stacks, experiments, and blog tutorials
- Referrals: Especially from other engineers or bootcamp peers - many fullstack devs come from self-taught or non-traditional routes
- Hiring platforms: CutShort, Turing, and Stack Overflow Jobs for curated remote-friendly fullstack talent
2. What to screen for beyond the buzzwords
Many resumes say “fullstack”, but only a few actually handle both layers confidently. Here’s what to look for:
- Real shipped projects - not just tutorials; look for apps with auth, routing, API, and DB
- Clean GitHub repos - with good README, clear folder structure, reusable components
- Understanding of both FE/BE principles - routing, state, APIs, caching, deployments
- Stack depth - Even if it’s just React + Node + MongoDB, that’s fine if it’s solid
Red flag: Devs who jump between 5 stacks but can’t go deep in one or explain trade-offs
3. Interview process that shows actual skill
Top companies keep it project-based, not just whiteboarding:
- Round 1: Screening call - Discuss past projects, what they built end-to-end, deployment
- Round 2: Live build or take-home task - A mini fullstack app: CRUD dashboard, form with auth, or file upload tool (2–4 hrs max)
- Round 3: Deep dive - Discuss their code, choices (e.g., state mgmt, DB schema), scaling or security basics
- Final round: Founder/Tech Lead - Focus on collaboration, speed, ownership
Optional: Ask how they manage deployments, logging, CI/CD - a good fullstack dev should be comfortable pushing to prod.
4. What fullstack devs want in a startup role
They’re not just joining for a tech stack - they care about:
- Autonomy - ability to ship full features without waiting on 5 other people
- Speed - startups that iterate fast, not just plan endlessly
- Growth - ability to go deeper in backend or product or infra
- Culture - clean code, low politics, real feedback
- Clear ownership - they want to “own user onboarding” or “build the internal dashboard”, not just fix bugs
Top companies sell the mission + scope, not just the stack.
5. 3-week hiring plan that works
- Week 1: Start active sourcing on GitHub, LinkedIn, Twitter, referrals
- Week 2: Share task, review code, run tech and culture rounds
- Week 3: Close fast with founder call + offer
- Bonus: Keep a Notion page of strong fullstack devs who weren’t ready - many convert in 2–3 months
Fullstack developers are your startup’s unfair advantage early on. Nirnay.io helps you auto-screen fullstack resumes, track real skill fit, and focus only on serious matches - so you hire faster without drowning in profiles.