Chances are that basing your startup on Scala/Lift is probably going to be a net plus for you when recruiting new staff. It says a lot about the technology culture at your company that you are using a functional language. It's also something of a weeder. If an engineer can't wrap his head around Scala in short order, you probably don't want to hire him. My guess is you'll probably have to hire a lot less frequently than a typical Java shop.