I talked to a friend today who’s in a fortunate position. He’s an executive with start-up experience, and several companies are recruiting him. All the opportunities look good on the surface, and all the founders are trying to move the process along quickly. He’s trying to figure out how to make the best decision for his family. He asked for my thoughts.

I think I know which company he’ll end up with. From the initial pitch, everything sounds promising. The market is big, the product is great, customers love the solution, and the team is strong. My feedback was simple: Don’t fall in love with any opportunity until the deal is signed. Continue to move all the opportunities forward with a focus on diligence to better understand each and gauge for fit. The recruitment process is bidirectional—treat it as such. Understanding the market and the team (especially the culture) and talking to customers are some ways to gain insight. As you dive deeper, you’re bound to uncover things that didn’t make the sales pitch; you’ll have to determine if they’re deal breakers or not.

I’m excited for my friend and can’t wait to see where he lands!