Growing the team
When to hire
Remember your first day? Kai and Remy decided the studio needed another teammate, and that was you. Now, with Hyper Shards 2 on the way, the studio needs an artist and a composer.
Hire when real work keeps getting stuck: a skill nobody on the team has, or more work than the team can do well. And hire only when the money is there, because people need paying every month, even when sales are slow. An employee also costs more than their salary, because the company pays employer taxes and often benefits on top.
Three ways to work together
- FreelancerPaid per job or per hour, works for several clients with their own tools. Great for a soundtrack or an art pack.
- EmployeeWorks regular hours for the studio for a salary. The company runs payroll and taxes. Best for long-term, everyday work.
- CollaboratorWorks for a share of sales or ownership instead of pay. Exciting but risky for both sides, so it needs a written agreement too.
Quick check
Hyper Shards 2 needs 12 music tracks, once, by spring. Which way of working fits best?
- A freelance composer, paid for the soundtrack
- A full-time employee composer for the next five years
- A collaborator with no written agreement
Show the answer
A freelance composer, paid for the soundtrack
A one-off job with a clear end fits a freelancer. An employee suits ongoing work, and any deal without a written agreement is asking for trouble.
Who owns the work?
When someone creates art, music or code, they automatically own its copyright. Paying for the work is not the same as owning it.
For employees, work done for the job usually belongs to the company. In the US this is called work for hire. Freelancers usually keep the copyright unless a written contract hands it over. That clause is an IP assignment: it moves ownership of the work to the studio. Without it, the studio might not be allowed to use Sprig in a sequel.
Fix the contract
1Freelance agreement: Sprig art pack2 31. Artist draws 40 Sprig animations.42. Studio pays $3,000: half now, half on delivery.53. Artist keeps all rights to the art.64. Artist may show the art in their portfolio.75. Delivery by 1 March.
Which item must change before the studio signs?
- Item 2, the payment plan
- Item 3, the rights to the art
- Item 4, the portfolio clause
Show the answer
Item 3, the rights to the art
If the artist keeps all rights, the studio can't safely use Sprig in updates or sequels. Item 3 should be an IP assignment. Paying in two parts and letting artists show their work are normal and fair.
Paying people and taxes
For an employee, the company runs payroll: it takes income tax out of each paycheck, pays it to the government, and adds its own employer taxes. Most small studios use a payroll service and an accountant.
A freelancer sends an invoice, gets paid in full, and handles their own taxes. The studio keeps records. In the US, it files a form called a 1099 for each freelancer it pays US$2,000 or more in a year (the limit was US$600 before 2026).
The law decides who counts as an employee, based on how they actually work.
Quick check
If a full-time worker agrees, the studio can call them a freelancer just to skip payroll taxes.
- True
- False
Show the answer
False
The law looks at how someone really works, like set hours and who controls the job, not at the label. Getting it wrong can mean back taxes and fines.
Culture and a great first day
- Contract firstSign the agreement before any work starts.
- The right accessGitHub, Firebase or Discord, with only the permissions the job needs.
- A small first taskA real but small job, to learn how the studio works.
- A buddyOne teammate to ask anything, any time.
Culture is how the team works together every day. Ours: kind code reviews, playtest everything, credit everyone, and no crunch (weeks of overtime before a deadline). Onboarding is how a new teammate gets started.
Onboarding
So excited to start on Monday! Should I just get the admin password to everything, so I don't have to bother anyone?
What is the best reply?
- Welcome! First we sign your agreement, then you get access to the art folder you need, and Remy will be your buddy
- Sure, here is the admin password for every account
- Just start drawing, and we can sort out the contract when the art is done
Show the answer
Welcome! First we sign your agreement, then you get access to the art folder you need, and Remy will be your buddy
Contract first protects both sides, and giving only the access a job needs keeps the studio safe. A buddy means asking questions is never a bother.
Next: paying for a bigger game
A bigger team means bigger bills, often before the next game earns anything. How do we pay for it? We will get there. First, the practical part: how to find, choose and fairly hire the right person.
Bolt says: Every great studio started small. What matters is that each new teammate makes the team stronger, like you did.
Fact-checked 9 October 2026
- IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC irs.gov
- IRS: Am I required to file a Form 1099? irs.gov
- US Copyright Office Circular 30: Works made for hire copyright.gov
- IRS: Independent contractor or employee? irs.gov