What are you building? Do you already have a preferred tech stack? Do you need security clearance or banking?
I am founder and CTO of a startup, and I have hired and grown a few teams. Contact me directly at cto @ nosql dot com.
Some general advice: It is ok to hire individuals remotely, but do not start with time and materials. Pay for work product. Get a lot of quotes and hire multiple people and keep the best Use the full SDLC tools to ensure quality: git, tests, stories, Ui mocks, etc It is ok to choose a cheap database or other core tech, but design the system to be able to change. Using the cloud will be faster and cheaper to start, but more expensive in the long run.