5 min read
5 min read
Rayyan Khan
Rayyan Khan
Hiring Executive Assistants
How to get out of the weeds and reclaim your time
Every founder hits a point where they become the bottleneck.
If your calendar, email, and life feel chaotic—it’s time to hire an EA.
The right executive assistant doesn’t just support you. They scale you.
This is the exact system we use to find, train, and embed EAs inside fast-moving startups.
Lets dive in
What to delegate (and what only you should do)
What to delegate (and what only you should do)
What to delegate (and what only you should do)
1. What to delegate (and what you should stop touching)
Your EA should own everything that drains your energy but doesn’t move the business forward.
We break it down:
$5/hour tasks: Scheduling, follow-ups, reminders, calendar blocking
$20/hour tasks: Inbox management, travel booking, creating docs or SOPs
$100/hour tasks: Strategy, hiring decisions, investor calls (this stays with you)
Great EAs take ownership. Elite EAs start thinking 2 steps ahead.
1. What to delegate (and what you should stop touching)
Your EA should own everything that drains your energy but doesn’t move the business forward.
We break it down:
$5/hour tasks: Scheduling, follow-ups, reminders, calendar blocking
$20/hour tasks: Inbox management, travel booking, creating docs or SOPs
$100/hour tasks: Strategy, hiring decisions, investor calls (this stays with you)
Great EAs take ownership. Elite EAs start thinking 2 steps ahead.
1. What to delegate (and what you should stop touching)
Your EA should own everything that drains your energy but doesn’t move the business forward.
We break it down:
$5/hour tasks: Scheduling, follow-ups, reminders, calendar blocking
$20/hour tasks: Inbox management, travel booking, creating docs or SOPs
$100/hour tasks: Strategy, hiring decisions, investor calls (this stays with you)
Great EAs take ownership. Elite EAs start thinking 2 steps ahead.
1. What to delegate (and what you should stop touching)
Your EA should own everything that drains your energy but doesn’t move the business forward.
We break it down:
$5/hour tasks: Scheduling, follow-ups, reminders, calendar blocking
$20/hour tasks: Inbox management, travel booking, creating docs or SOPs
$100/hour tasks: Strategy, hiring decisions, investor calls (this stays with you)
Great EAs take ownership. Elite EAs start thinking 2 steps ahead.
Where to find high-quality executive assistants
Where to find high-quality executive assistants
Where to find high-quality executive assistants
2. Where to source great executive assistants
The good ones aren’t on Fiverr. Here’s how we find them:
Reddit (r/assistant, r/forhire)
LinkedIn paid search + outbound DM sequences
Remote job boards (AngelList Talent, Dynamite Jobs)
Internal database + referrals (we’ve pre-screened 1,000+ assistants)
We don’t just find VAs—we find true partners to the founder.
2. Where to source great executive assistants
The good ones aren’t on Fiverr. Here’s how we find them:
Reddit (r/assistant, r/forhire)
LinkedIn paid search + outbound DM sequences
Remote job boards (AngelList Talent, Dynamite Jobs)
Internal database + referrals (we’ve pre-screened 1,000+ assistants)
We don’t just find VAs—we find true partners to the founder.
2. Where to source great executive assistants
The good ones aren’t on Fiverr. Here’s how we find them:
Reddit (r/assistant, r/forhire)
LinkedIn paid search + outbound DM sequences
Remote job boards (AngelList Talent, Dynamite Jobs)
Internal database + referrals (we’ve pre-screened 1,000+ assistants)
We don’t just find VAs—we find true partners to the founder.
2. Where to source great executive assistants
The good ones aren’t on Fiverr. Here’s how we find them:
Reddit (r/assistant, r/forhire)
LinkedIn paid search + outbound DM sequences
Remote job boards (AngelList Talent, Dynamite Jobs)
Internal database + referrals (we’ve pre-screened 1,000+ assistants)
We don’t just find VAs—we find true partners to the founder.
Screening EAs for clarity, trust, and ownership
Screening EAs for clarity, trust, and ownership
Screening EAs for clarity, trust, and ownership
3. How to screen executive assistants
We test for trust and thinking—not just task completion.
Our process:
Written prompt: Test clarity, organization, attention to detail
Voice/Video intro: Gauge poise, energy, communication
Live scenario task: “You’re managing my inbox. What do you prioritize?”
Trial period: Paid 1-week test with light real-world tasks
The ones who thrive don’t just complete tasks—they ask better questions.
3. How to screen executive assistants
We test for trust and thinking—not just task completion.
Our process:
Written prompt: Test clarity, organization, attention to detail
Voice/Video intro: Gauge poise, energy, communication
Live scenario task: “You’re managing my inbox. What do you prioritize?”
Trial period: Paid 1-week test with light real-world tasks
The ones who thrive don’t just complete tasks—they ask better questions.
3. How to screen executive assistants
We test for trust and thinking—not just task completion.
Our process:
Written prompt: Test clarity, organization, attention to detail
Voice/Video intro: Gauge poise, energy, communication
Live scenario task: “You’re managing my inbox. What do you prioritize?”
Trial period: Paid 1-week test with light real-world tasks
The ones who thrive don’t just complete tasks—they ask better questions.
3. How to screen executive assistants
We test for trust and thinking—not just task completion.
Our process:
Written prompt: Test clarity, organization, attention to detail
Voice/Video intro: Gauge poise, energy, communication
Live scenario task: “You’re managing my inbox. What do you prioritize?”
Trial period: Paid 1-week test with light real-world tasks
The ones who thrive don’t just complete tasks—they ask better questions.
Hiring checklist: timezone, AI tools, values, and alignment
Hiring checklist: timezone, AI tools, values, and alignment
Hiring checklist: timezone, AI tools, values, and alignment
4. Hiring checklist (our internal rubric)
English clarity (written + spoken)
Timezone alignment (3–5 hours overlap is ideal)
Tools (Notion, Slack, AI tools like ChatGPT, Trello, Gmail)
Growth mindset (do they want to learn, not just do?)
Cultural alignment (professional, proactive, values trust and growth)
We invest in EAs the same way we invest in teammates—with feedback, trust, and autonomy.
4. Hiring checklist (our internal rubric)
English clarity (written + spoken)
Timezone alignment (3–5 hours overlap is ideal)
Tools (Notion, Slack, AI tools like ChatGPT, Trello, Gmail)
Growth mindset (do they want to learn, not just do?)
Cultural alignment (professional, proactive, values trust and growth)
We invest in EAs the same way we invest in teammates—with feedback, trust, and autonomy.
4. Hiring checklist (our internal rubric)
English clarity (written + spoken)
Timezone alignment (3–5 hours overlap is ideal)
Tools (Notion, Slack, AI tools like ChatGPT, Trello, Gmail)
Growth mindset (do they want to learn, not just do?)
Cultural alignment (professional, proactive, values trust and growth)
We invest in EAs the same way we invest in teammates—with feedback, trust, and autonomy.
4. Hiring checklist (our internal rubric)
English clarity (written + spoken)
Timezone alignment (3–5 hours overlap is ideal)
Tools (Notion, Slack, AI tools like ChatGPT, Trello, Gmail)
Growth mindset (do they want to learn, not just do?)
Cultural alignment (professional, proactive, values trust and growth)
We invest in EAs the same way we invest in teammates—with feedback, trust, and autonomy.
Onboarding and management: building trust in the first 14 days
Onboarding and management: building trust in the first 14 days
Onboarding and management: building trust in the first 14 days
5. Onboarding your EA (first 2 weeks)
Week 1:
Setup tools, walkthrough SOPs
Assign 3–5 daily recurring tasks
15-min check-ins for clarity + corrections
Week 2:
Add async tasks + deeper ownership (e.g., inbox, doc formatting, meeting prep)
Feedback loop: Loom recordings or weekly async reviews
Set weekly priorities together
The best EAs grow with you. And eventually, they start running your ops without a second thought.
5. Onboarding your EA (first 2 weeks)
Week 1:
Setup tools, walkthrough SOPs
Assign 3–5 daily recurring tasks
15-min check-ins for clarity + corrections
Week 2:
Add async tasks + deeper ownership (e.g., inbox, doc formatting, meeting prep)
Feedback loop: Loom recordings or weekly async reviews
Set weekly priorities together
The best EAs grow with you. And eventually, they start running your ops without a second thought.
5. Onboarding your EA (first 2 weeks)
Week 1:
Setup tools, walkthrough SOPs
Assign 3–5 daily recurring tasks
15-min check-ins for clarity + corrections
Week 2:
Add async tasks + deeper ownership (e.g., inbox, doc formatting, meeting prep)
Feedback loop: Loom recordings or weekly async reviews
Set weekly priorities together
The best EAs grow with you. And eventually, they start running your ops without a second thought.
5. Onboarding your EA (first 2 weeks)
Week 1:
Setup tools, walkthrough SOPs
Assign 3–5 daily recurring tasks
15-min check-ins for clarity + corrections
Week 2:
Add async tasks + deeper ownership (e.g., inbox, doc formatting, meeting prep)
Feedback loop: Loom recordings or weekly async reviews
Set weekly priorities together
The best EAs grow with you. And eventually, they start running your ops without a second thought.
💡 Want help?
💡 Want help?
💡 Want help?
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© 2025 Founders Arm. All rights reserved.
© 2025 Founders Arm. All rights reserved.
© 2025 Founders Arm. All rights reserved.
© 2025 Founders Arm.
All rights reserved.