Elena Solodow

TIps from the trenches- advice from recent job changers

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If you or anyone you know are applying to jobs at startups - let us help you negotiate with real data. We call it Friend at Carta - here's how it works: 1. You visit carta dot com / friend     2. Enter in a little information about the role you're applying for, including the department (like marketing or sales), the level (entry, manager, director), the location of the startup, and the current valuation (is this company worth $10M or $500M?)     3. Click Get My Band     4. Walk away with comp data specific to your role, level, location, and valuation. Includes low / med / hi values for salary and equity Pretty simple. We want to make sure that all startup job seekers feel prepared as they walk into those final candidate meetings. And if you're a founder, feel free to use this for a role you're hiring for—but know that we have much more for you if you'd like access to the full compensation intelligence tool. It's Carta Total Compensation and it's pretty awesome. Hiring across private startups has been lackluster in 2024, but there are signs that the end of the year may see some increased hiring activity. So for all the job seekers out there - keep at it! Share widely 🙏 #startups #hiring #layoffs #compensation #founders  

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Founders - what will your equity comp policy be? Will your company always compensate at the 50th percentile of the band? Will you go above that for specific key hires? Or maybe whole functions like Engineering will start at the 75th percentile? Setting this sort of compensation philosophy can seem a bit much at the earliest stages. And I sort of agree - you shouldn't just be taking the general guideline for hires 1, 2, or 3. Those negotiations are much more art than science. But pretty quickly, you get into the land of comp bands. From the data below, your choice of compensation philosophy can have major impacts on your equity offers and your option pool size. If founders gave each of the first 5 hires the 50th pct equity grant (based on more than 8,000 equity grants over the past year on Carta), they would part with 3.62% of the company in total. If you continue down the 50th pct column to employee 10, that's 4.75% of the company all in. Is that...good? bad? Too much or too little? Really hard to say! If instead you are generous with early employee equity, you'll need a bigger pool pretty quickly. Everyone receiving a 75th pct grant in the first 10 employees totals 11.61% of the company. That's already higher than the usual 10% option pool for pre-seed startups (although you probably won't be hiring 10 people before you raise funding). Hopefully this sort of benchmark layout gives you a sense of the landscape for early employee equity. There is no "right" way to build your initial team and keep them incentivized. However, it has been pretty cool to watch the 50th pct equity grant creep upwards over the past few years. Smaller teams with slightly larger equity grants per team member has become the new default in building startups and I'm here for it. Hope you close your first hires this weekend! #cartadata #equitycompensation #first10hires #startups #founders -------------------- Zero-sugar, probiotic, sparkling startup data. Brighten up your email inbox with fresh insights from us every Thursday - sign up using the URL in graphic below!

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One of my clients (Data Science Lead) is interviewing for a role tomorrow... at a company that "rejected" them a few weeks ago! A recruiter made that decision. Meanwhile, the actual hiring manager, who was messaged separately, responded and was happy to set up time to talk. This hiring manager likely has no idea my client was rejected, let alone applied. All she knows is some one qualified + competant reached out on LinkedIn and wants to talk. Going to be an awkward conversation between her and the recruiter tomorrow afternoon after my client crushes it… If you’re job searching and feel stuck in a rut - keep pushing and leave no stone unturned! #Recruiting #Hiring #Data #Startup

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3 Years ago, I wrote post about how working from home changed my life and reduced my burnout. That was in the early days of the pandemic. Now that 3 years has passed, I thought it'd be worth relooking at how I spent my work week with a hybrid office setup as companies are mandating the return to the office. One of the big changes from early pandemic days is I am commuting in the office twice a week. I'm able to do this during lower traffic times, which saves quite a bit of time on commuting. My meetings have increased. Some of that has to do not being Shopify, which police's meetings closely and some of it is just the creep of the ease of setting up a zoom meeting. On deep work, the meetings creep has consumed some of my deep work time. Also, during the early pandemic I was sleeping more. I think that was probably due to things being shut down, being restricted to my home. Overall, I've had a positive impact on my family and free time from the hybrid style over the pre-pandemic 5 days a week in the office. I'm not up to date on the latest research or data that companies have on the productivity differences between in the office and WFH. But my personal experience is there's good reasons for both. Being in the office more with colleagues definitely can be energizing, help with brainstorming and increase productivity from my experience. But also, I've seen zoom meetings expand to having larger audiences than needed and doing zoom meetings from their desks in the office feet from peers because a meeting room isn’t avialable. Seems like a bad use of time in the office. So maybe if everyone is there that will go away. It'll be interesting to see how the return to office in 2025 plays out.

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Over my career, I've been significantly impacted by three unexpected re-orgs: - One time I got fired - One time I quit - One time I ended up owning a $100MM P&L Luck swings both ways 😂 In a career like data, I think we’re more exposed to risky political situations than most other job functions. With risk comes reward though, and exposure to senior people can help accelerate your career and your impact. Part of succeeding in the long run, is not letting the bad luck wipe you out, and staying around long enough for the good luck to swing your way. Behind closed doors, and now publicly on LinkedIn, I often advise data people to save money. We get paid higher than average salaries as data people, so by living off an "average" salary for a while, I built a safety net. It took about three years of saving until I had a 6 month emergency fund. If I wasn't living in New York, I would have done it faster 😅 Having a safety net made a huge difference in my ability to take advantage of potentially risky situations at work. And also made a huge difference when I got fired unexpectedly with a baby at home. If you're looking for a community of data people to help navigate risky and potentially rewarding career situations, send me a DM. And if you're a senior data person who has lived through the ups and downs in your own career, share some stories in the comments!

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You're making decisions in your job search based on assumptions and calling it "data". We all know we’re supposed to be “data-driven” in our work, but most Directors and VPs I've met aren't bringing the same rigor into tracking their job searches. Here's an example: A client of mine was rejected from 2 Director-level roles he was really excited about. He assumed it was because he did not currently have a Director-level title. He'd held the title in the past, but was Principal most recently. Because of a few rejections early on in his search, he assumed he wasn't going to get that title anywhere. So he started applying to lower and lower positions instead. Roles he wasn't excited about, and felt overqualified for. When he and I started working together, I asked him if he'd gotten *any* interviews at the Director-level. He had! They were for products that were directly relevant and quite niche to what he'd done earlier in his career. 2 data points were not enough to make that sweeping decision that would affect not just his search, but ultimately his longterm career trajectory. So rather than focus on the title, we made some key changes to his resume to bring out his niche experience and position his leadership more clearly (overall impact, major top-line business decisions, and org management.) When he ultimately signed his offer a few months later, it was for a Senior Director. So what data should you be tracking to ensure you're keeping yourself honest? → Total Applications → Replies + Rejections → Conversions at each stage (apps > Recruiter Screens, Screens > HM Interviews, etc.) Then you can dive in once you hit certain milestones to figure out if there are patterns on title, size of company, team size, space, specific challenges, etc. As a rule, I challenge my clients not to make any assumptions or any changes to the strategy we've laid out until they submit 25-30 applications to roles that are squarely in their target (another important piece of accurate data tracking!) and at least 2 weeks of followups. Data can be a game-changer to your search. But only if you use it right!

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DoorDash was the first customer of my last startup, Resource. I learned a practice from them which I loved, so I stole it: DoorDash requires every employee (including the ceo!) to make at least one delivery a month. This helps every employee build empathy with the users they build for. At Guide we do something similar: everyone schedules interviews. It helps us better understand RCs and build empathy for candidates. If you haven’t job searched in a while, it’s easy to forget how painful it can be. And if you aren’t a recruiter or RC, it’s easy to underappreciate how difficult the job is. If you want to build empathy for your stakeholders, try as hard as you can to walk a day in their shoes.

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Data. Providers. Suck. According to everyone on LinkedIn.. Seems like every day you see someone bashing a data provider. NEWSFLASH: → They'll never be 100% accurate → People switch jobs too frequently → Just because a data provider is good for one business doesn't mean it's best for yours. In honor of data providers, today's 5 Technologies on Friday.. we're talking data providers. Here's an overview and a platform demo of each: Wiza: https://lnkd.in/dnkaUAA5 Incredible chrome extension and unlimited credit plans. Amplemarket: https://lnkd.in/dUtKSWpv Recently launched Duo which is a feed of prospects for your sellers to reach out to that have intent signals ExactBuyer: https://lnkd.in/d5ncGXCU Founder came from data providers and built the tool to solve for the challenges he was seeing. upcell: https://lnkd.in/dhtkkX4V Amazing mobile numbers and it embeds into a sellers workflow so you don't need to learn another platform. Cognism: https://lnkd.in/dEHkeShy Really good EMEA and global contact data You're welcome :)

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The inability to set competitive compensation is costing you thousands 💲💲 It might not be your survey data or comp tech that's the issue. You might be getting this wrong. 👇 Inaccurate internal job descriptions could be the problem. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆: -  Comparing bad job descriptions to good survey data doesn't work -  One missing skill or qualification can swing datasets dramatically -  Similar jobs with different titles can be hard to identify -  No job consistency = pay equity nightmare Compensation pros sometimes nerd out about survey data & forget about the JD. You’re passionate about compensation. You get excited about data analytics. BUT the data doesn't mean anything if it's benchmarked to an inaccurate JD. So what can you do to improve JD accuracy? ⛔ 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 - Spend hours reviewing & updating jobs - Chase internal team members for feedback - Compare jobs in word/pdf to identify similarities - Draft updated job descriptions and curate skills lists ✅ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀: - Accurate & current jobs available on demand - To quickly confirm job requirements match the JD - A way to facilitate JD consistency to avoid redundancy - The ability to consolidate jobs without hours of manual work That's why I built MOSH JD - to help comp pros regain confidence in their jobs without hours of work. 📨 𝗗𝗠 me to setup a 1:1 or demo ♻️ 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 & Comment "𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗝𝗗𝘀" to help me spread the word! ✌️ Appreciate you. __ I'm Josh Kiernan I help busy HR teams simplify the job description management process. Click my name + follow + 🔔

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Today, I'm celebrating a client who landed an INTERNAL PROMOTION to Director of Product at American Express, with a 25% increase - after being REJECTED for the role 2x before! 🎉 (she has been with the company 10+ years) When she first approached me, I immediately identified her struggles: 1. Communication: She had difficulty conveying her thoughts clearly.   2. Value articulation: She was not highlighting her contributions and achievements. 3. Agility: Her thoughts were clear, but she struggled to make them concise. Her peers and leaders saw her as a high potential. However, the feedback she was getting after trying to break through to the next level was that she was not clear and too wordy in her communication. She HAS amazing gifts: linear logical thinking with the vision to execute, business savvy (she was aware of her impacts on the biz), and she IS a top-rated leader. While her gifts are known, she needed to share her expertise CLEARLY and CONCISELY. Because NO ONE wants to be their orgs best kept secret. Here's how we addressed the challenges: 1. 90-Second Communication Sprints: We mapped out her key experiences and achievements in focused bursts to help her structure her thoughts and ideas in a clear, concise manner. (She's a product leader so she appreciated the sprints) 2. Articulation Practice: I had her practice conveying complex topics in easy-to-understand acronyms. 3. Stakeholder Messaging: I guided her on effectively communicating her contributions and achievements to key stakeholders using frameworks. After just one month, she got an opportunity to apply for the Director position. She had been rejected 2x before but it was time to slay her giant. SHE CRUSHED IT! Articulating your value is crucial for career progression whether it be in stakeholder meetings, presentations, or interviews. I'm so grateful that another client is going into the weekend realizing a dream they've sat with for years. Let that be a reminder you can too. #aLITTLEadvice --- Hi! 👋🏾I’m April, a certified Executive Leadership and Life coach. I help women leaders (Manager, Director, VP) secure and succeed in Senior Leadership roles. Ready to land a promotion? DM me "Exec" if you're ready. I'm going live on Sunday (today), July 7th at 6:30pm EST here on LinkedIn Audio to discuss how to get Executive Communication: How to organize your thoughts. Register: https://lnkd.in/gCaGNt6s

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On a phone screen recently a recruiter told me, you know this isn’t in analytics? I was quite aware as the position was for account management. It had all the same responsibilities as a CSM so I applied as the title was irrelevant. Why am I stepping away from a full time analytics? I like helping people and want to be more client facing. I’m a talker and extremely curious so I want to learn about a client’s structure, operations, strengths, weaknesses, get to know the people as people, and their reason for wanting to focus on a specific project or reason for adopting a product. The role I’m looking for isn’t for me to ask a client, what can I do for you? It’s for me to ask where do you want to be and then lay out a plan to work together to reach that goal. It’s my chance to provide education and guidance to others. I’ve experienced this from my time as a rowing coach, from my time working within health systems, and from my time in analytics with internal parties. Being that calm, personable presence who is always working on continuous improvement is a great trait to bring to the table. Hopefully I can bring it to yours. #jobhunt #jobsearch #readytowork #clientsuccess #customersuccess #csm #accountmanagement #accountmanager #readytowork #hireme #healthcare #healthtech #saas

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Did Spotify ask for your email to start a free trial? That moment you type in your email - you've just become a lead! A lead is anyone who shares their contact info, showing they're interested in what a company offers. Think about it - by giving Spotify your email, you've moved from being just another viewer to a potential customer they can reach out to. They'll send you personalized playlists, Premium offers, and special deals to turn you into a paying subscriber. Remember: Every paying customer starts as a lead. Master the art of collecting and nurturing leads, and watch your business soar!

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Are you a hiring manager who wants to stand out to candidates in Q1? Here are some thoughts: I'm hiring for 9 roles across 7 orgs. Nearly all are in SF, and they're all (of course) GTM roles. While they're all great orgs/opps, there are a few things helping some stand out more than others. 1) Know your numbers: We expect candidates to know their KPIs, big wins, etc., but it blows my mind how often hiring managers don't know their own wins or their company’s #, $, or %. 2) Know your space: If you can't explain why your product has or deserves a fighting chance against the competition, then candidates in 2025 will likely steer clear. 3) Speed to market: I have 4 active roles that are close matches to each other. The fastest movers will get first dibs on the best candidates. The clients that hem and haw and "think on it" will lose out. Scheduling a second call with someone you're on the fence about is not a big deal. Just act on it. 4) Candidate experience is key: Whether they're the right fit or not shouldn't dictate how mindful you are of their experience. One bad candidate experience can truly spoil the opportunity for others, and you'd never know it. I often hear candidates say things like, "I heard XYZ about them from a friend who interviewed there recently." 5) Partner with your agency or in-house team. Recruiters (in-house or not) are not just a tool to use when you think you "have" to. We're likely the most accurate pulse on what candidates are looking for/thinking/going to do. Keeping your talent partner truly engaged in the whole process will dramatically increase your chances of a closed role and accepted offer. While 2025 is likely not going to look like 2021 hiring, it certainly won't be a 2023 year either. Candidates have some leverage again, and the companies that overlook this will be left wondering why their hiring goals are struggling to be met.

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The difference between a great customer interview vs. one that wastes time? The first 60 seconds. Botch that crucial opening window, and you're playing catch-up the entire call. It took me 1000s of awkward silences and false starts to get it right, but now I have a kickoff that builds rapport from the jump. Three things to focus on for your opening moments: 1. Take command of the call. 2. Paint a clear picture of what to expect. 3. Make it feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. How do I pull this off? Here are a few uncommon moves that seal the deal—you’ll see these and more in action in the script: —Manage the time (so they can relax). —Handle recording respectfully (it shows you care). —Get permission to interrupt (sets the precedent you’re in charge). Remember: even if they agreed to the call, you're still strangers. So you can’t just dive in and expect instant trust. You have to earn it. But nail that opening, and watch how quickly they relax — and open up. Try it. It's powerful stuff.

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A few months ago I wrote about how Slack AI summaries were kind of a mess for our team. We ended up canceling less than a month in. The wild part? My LinkedIn inbox has been a steady stream of "oh thank god someone said it" ever since. Still getting DMs about that post, btw. Like, multiple times a week. Either LinkedIn's algorithm is having way too much fun, or – more likely – this is still a real problem people are struggling with. I've been lazily keeping tabs on Slack's AI updates (read: occasionally squinting at their changelog), and... yeah...seems like it's still missing the actually important stuff while dutifully informing you that "Dave shared a link" and "Sarah used the 🎉 emoji." So here's what I actually want to know: what's everyone else doing about this? Found some magical third-party tool that doesn't suck? Built your own thing? #slack #ai #salesforce #summaries

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When you have a high performer, you should do MACRO-MANAGING. Nothing drives off a high performer like micro managing them. Some interesting thoughts from Jason here.

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What's a VP of Product at a Series C company in SF making these days? Base Salary: $340k-$375k Incentive Comp (Bonus + Equity, Annualized): $350k-$520k Question for the broader product community: • Is this data consistent with what you're seeing in the market? • What product role and (private) company size should we cover next? More details about the salary benchmark: • Level/seniority of the role: VP • Amount raised: $100-150M The ranges above come from a combination of sources: 1) Fair Offer 2) What I've seen from Supra members's offers 3) Exec recruiters. Just so you know, the equity numbers for seed stage by Fair Offer are way higher than I've seen in other places, so please take a look at the equity numbers I shared at the top of the post. To increase salary transparency, I will post Salary benchmarks for product leadership roles at private companies every two weeks. I also shared how to leverage Fair Offer to access these insights in the comments.

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"This is going to save us hours per job description." I'm saving a Director of Compensation 200+ hours per year: • Spent chasing down feedback from internal team members • Spent consolidating jobs that should have been 1 JD to start with • Spent searching for JD content to use when writing/updating JDs • Spent struggling to keep JDs updated as role requirements change Now instead they can: • Easily gain internal feedback with the click of a button • Expedite the process of consolidating their JD inventory • Establish JD governance for thoughtful future job expansion • Access 1000s of sample JDs in seconds or use Ai content instantly • Maintain accurate JDs at scale as role & business requirements change The second list sounds better, right? Here's the reality. Without a job description system in place, JDs will eat up a ton of your time. Some people manage to setup an efficient process to keep JDs updated in Google drive or shared files. Most fall behind with that process. My goal is to save you time on JDs so you can keep them updated & accurate. • Are you a compensation professional managing over 50 JDs? • Are your job descriptions out of date & don't accurately reflect the role? • Are you spending way more time than you'd like writing/updating JDs? Send me a DM with "Job descriptions" and let's talk.

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