"the type of people you need at this stage are the type who could be almost be startup founders themselves"

Pretty much. I run a bootstrapped SAAS and built a small team over the years. I havae made so many mistakes when hiring the early employees. So many. The biggest mistake: Hire someone who will be a good fit in a larger team/corporate where they have structure and are told what to do. Do not hire those people as your early employees no matter where they come from or how smart they are in general.

You need people who are "almost" entrepreneurial but cannot do their own thing. They love to own things, have autonomy and can wear multiple hats. They are willing to experiment with you and most importantly, move the needle. Very difficult to find especially when you are a nothing startup.