Ish Verduzco

I recently listened to Zach Perret, founder of Plaid, on the 20VC podcast discussing his evolution in recruiting. His mindset shift resonated with me. Here are three key takeaways: ▶ Be yourself and do it. Cold emails and genuine curiosity unlock unrecruitable people. People love to talk about things they're passionate about. ▶ Embrace the hunt. The best founders love to compete for talent. They understand the value each person can bring and don't like losing. This skill will also translate into founder-led sales. ▶ Hire for "Spike". This is essential when building an early team. I often think of it as the shape of a "T"—someone with deep expertise in one area but is open and curious to learn and contribute in other areas outside their core strength.

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If anyone is in North County San Diego, on Thursday May 2nd, we will be hosting a tech entrepreneur and investor meet up at 5:30pm. We’ll have a couple speakers, one of which is a fin-tech start-up raising a round, followed up by a presentation on the state of the stock & crypto market. We host these events quarterly and usually get a lot of founders and investors to attend. If anyone is interested, please message me and I can send you the details. LaunchPad San Diego #startups #startupincubator #entrepreneur #investing #crypto #meetup

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Want to help set every candidate up for success in an interview? SET AN AGENDA AT THE START OF THE CONVO 📋 It's a simple but impactful step for a better candidate experience. So how consistently do companies do this today? We looked at 175k interviews to find out... TLDR - The range is massive! Some orgs do it in just 4% of interviews, others do it in 95%! 🤯 The avg & median org sets an agenda in 61% of their interviews. 70% of orgs set an agenda between 45% - 75% of the time Only 20% of orgs set an agenda in >75% of their interviews Here’s how agenda-setting varies across different scenarios: 🔍 BY INTERVIEW STAGE - Recruiters set agendas in 68% of interviews vs. 59% for HMs 🔍 BY FUNCTION - Eng interviews include an agenda 67% of the time vs. 44% for sales 🔍 BY GENDER: - Female set an agenda 69% of the time vs. 63% for Male recruiters - Oddly, a smaller diff for HMs, with FM HMs at 61% vs. 58% for M HMs - Agenda-setting is most common w/ F candidates paired w/ F interviewers We think setting an agenda is a small step that makes a big difference. ❓ What do you think? ❓ PS: This is one of the metrics we track in BrightHire!

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🎤 Tech Week Takes 🎤 Fit over credentials. During SF Tech Week, CEO & cofounder of Puzzle 🧩🚀, Sasha Orloff, dropped this crucial insight: Don’t just hire based on resume checkboxes or big-name companies. The real value comes from finding people whose experience and mindset align with your company’s stage and culture. It’s all about building the right team for where you're headed. 🚀

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🚀 Aligning Talent and Projects to a Company’s Stage: A Key to Success 🚀 Whether you’re hiring for an internal employee or selecting an external team to partner with your startup or an enterprise, one size does not fit all. The needs of a fast-growing startup are fundamentally different from those of a well-established enterprise, and it’s critical to align the talent and projects to the company’s specific stage of development. Here's why it matters: 1. Understanding Growth Dynamics Early-stage startups are laser-focused on speed, experimentation, and finding product-market fit. This requires versatile, hands-on talent who can wear multiple hats and pivot quickly as priorities shift. For them, it’s not just about expertise—it’s about the ability to adapt and solve problems in real time. 2. Scalability vs. Stability For mature enterprises, the focus shifts towards optimizing processes, ensuring scalability, and implementing sophisticated strategies for long-term growth. Here, projects are often more complex, requiring seasoned experts who can bring deep domain knowledge and execute against established roadmaps. 3. Matching Resources to Maturity Whether it's providing lean, agile support to startups or specialized skills to enterprises, the key is to match resources to where the company is in its journey. Misaligned talent can lead to missed opportunities or stalled progress. But when the right team is aligned to the right stage, the impact is transformative. Thanks to Sasha Orloff of Puzzle 🧩🚀 for this hot take on talent at #techweek #Consulting #Startups #Enterprises #TalentAlignment #GrowthStage #VioletX

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In the early stage startup journey, post funding is often 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. That's where I come in. In my role as 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 for Initialized Capital, I work with our 175+ portfolio companies to build out their team and cultures. 💫 Hiring 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 10 team members is a pivotal moment in your company's growth. Besides your product, your 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. When you are just getting started, you have limited headcount and limited funds so every player counts. That means 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. Your team determines the pace and direction of a startup’s expansion. In fact, the team and the culture you create (implicitly or explicitly) is a 𝗯𝘆𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲. ✏ Here's my initial thoughts on 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 10 𝙃𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨: https://lnkd.in/efNDbEZ8 I welcome your feedback, especially if your hiring path took a different turn from the one shared. #StartUpMilestones #EarlyStageStartups #EarlyHires

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Michelle Kislak from Netflix is looking for a Product Manager! It’s Friday people, so you know what that means there will be a lot of product manager roles posted this afternoon, but you have to learn how to pitch yourself to get an interview beyond sending an “I’m interested” message to the hiring team. Do you want access to the rest of the product manager jobs instead of just getting them one by one, then sign up for our exclusive newsletter here.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj In addition to sending you a fresh batch of urgent product manager roles each day like hot bread out of the oven, I will also be sending you some LinkedIn templates on how to convert these LinkedIn postings into interviews.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj For whatever reason I have been getting a lot of hate comments about posting this many product manager jobs from real product managers. I have no clue how some people can be that angry considering I am trying to help the community out. You can sign up for the postings in my newsletter here.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj I am hosting 7 live trainings next week with the intention of helping as many people land a product manager job as possible for FREE. My team is still posting up the meetups on Eventbrite, but I will be sending an invitation to the following trainings over the weekend.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj Real Reason Nobody is Landing Product Manager Jobs in 2024 How to Interview Against Product Managers with More Experience Cold Product Manager LinkedIn Message Templates to Convert Interviews Product Manager Resume Templates for Startups and Big Tech Roles Big Tech Product Manager Case Studies of 2024 Secret Product Manager Job Boards and Referral Network How to Increase Product Manager Job Applications w/ Chat GPT + AI PS Please RESHARE this post for all your colleagues still looking for a job. #productmanagement #productmanagementcareers #productmanagementjobs #speedtolead

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Pie is LIVE in San Francisco. This is not a city that is dumb to new startups. There is e large and growing graveyard of companies and apps that have tried to solve the problem of making friends IRL. Having worked on this for five years, here is why we think Pie is right on time: 1. Our Pie Creator Fund is creating a gig economy of people building IRL communities. Loving people is one thing. Being able to afford the time and treasure to bring them together is another. Apply here: piecreatorfund.com 2. Most Pie plans are free. The internet is littered with paid opportunities to buy tickets. But what if you don't know what to expect? What if you don't know what is worth paying for? Believe in free: getpie.app (and click San Francisco). 3. We have secrets about the future. Not all of them are in our product yet. We hope that you give us a shot and maybe later we can tell you our secrets. Maybe you don't have to figure out who to hang out with, maybe we can do that for you.

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In my 10+ year career, I’ve reviewed, designed, and built 100’s (maybe 1,000’s?!) of decks From companies like AT&T all the way to pre-seed startups I have a solid understanding of what looks and sounds good 💥 For a limited time, I’m offering a free pitch deck audit 💥 Send me your deck and I’ll give you unfiltered, actionable feedback If you’re thinking - Does this flow? Do we have too many slides? Does this sound confusing? 🔽 Send me a DM to get started!

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A standard approach to new hire equity for public tech companies is a new hire grant ~2x the refresh grant, followed by annual refreshes, all with 4-year standard vest. The problem with this approach is the big drop off in vesting in Year 5 — in effect, you’re signaling to employees that’s the time to leave. How can we avoid this cliff? A simple way to accomplish this goal is with the combination of a front-loaded new hire grant and ratable refreshes. The key drivers to make this program work are: Front-loading the NH grant — this helps eliminate the cliff in year 5 Reducing the NH grant multiple — this also reduces the cliff, and lowers total spend Moving to 3-year vests — this pulls more vesting value forward Notice this actually saves the company money too. When we lower our new hire multiple from 2.0x to 1.5x, should we be worried it’s less attractive to the candidate? I think no, for a very specific reason: people rationally discount future value. Check out my full post below. 👇 And this isn't the only solution - how else can you adapt your stock comp design to minimize cliffs? #compensation #totalrewards

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Founders, if you're competing with big tech for talent, you've already lost. Stop trying to over-pay or over-perk. Instead, focus on what makes a job at your startup. The key to startup recruiting is stressing that you can offer something that a big tech company can't. Focus on: 1. Autonomy over management     Big tech gives you a manager and a roadmap.  Startups give you problems to solve however you see fit.     This is actual career development - not just climbing a predefined ladder.     2. True equity over stock options     Big tech flashes restricted stock units. Startups offer real ownership.      If things go well, early employees can create life-changing wealth.     3. Impact over bureaucracy     In big tech, you're another cog in the machine. They'll fill your role the day you leave. At a startup, your presence is felt every day.      You shape the company's future and leave an imprint that lasts.     The key isn't to compete with big tech. The key is to find candidates who value what only startups can offer: - True autonomy - Real ownership - Visible impact You will never win the salary or notoriety war with a company like Google or Meta, so stop trying. Start winning the right candidates who want all of the incredible things that come with a job at YOUR startup. - - - If you found this helpful, follow me Toby Egbuna for more practical advice on early-stage building for underrepresented founders 🤝🏾

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Just want to give a shoutout to OpenVC. It's been a great resource, I've used it off and on for a few months, and today decided to get the yearly pass. It allows you to search VCs and submit your deck, with tracking and analytics. So you can see every slide a VC looks at on your deck, and when they back out. Helps for deck fine-tuning. It also allows VC's to tell you why they passed if they did. I've also gotten some followup meetings on ZOOM. It's just a great resource that doesn't cost thousands of dollars a month like most others. Also, had some tech support issues as well (my fault) and they were handled within half an hour. Thanks Stephane Nasser for such a great tool for entrepreneuers.

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If you asked me what's going to impact talent management companies' business models or fuel mass consolidation, here are a few core reasons I'd point to: Diluted Fixed Fee Deals: A reduction in substantial fixed fee deals that can fulfill creator coffers and generate the necessary operating capital for management companies at scale. Deferred Payment Terms and Credit History: The normalization of traditional credit terms like Net 60 to Net 90+. Who can afford to wait for their capital or front operating costs until payday arrives? How do deferred payment terms create risk for creators and their representation in an already volatile market of trust? Impact on Amateur Creators: Will amateur creators question legitimacy and turn down credible business opportunities while seeking quick paydays? Will certain brands be forced into risky payment models to avoid losing deals? Digital-First Brands and ROAS: There's a surge in digital-first brands adopting a model of waiting for customer purchases and a return on ad spend (ROAS) before paying bills. Any failure in performance could result in payment deferral or, worse, delinquency. I've been seeing a lot of discussion on this topic on LinkedIn recently, so I wanted to join the conversation. #TalentManagement #InfluencerMarketing #PaymentTerms #CreatorEconomy

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Recruiting Agency Evolution - From Startup to Scale: This is the typical progression I've observed over 12+ years across executive search, contingent, and contract staffing firms: Stage 1 - Founders/Principal Recruiters Most successful agencies start with the experienced superstar who bring deep networks, charisma and tenacity. The founders handle everything - from client development to candidate sourcing across all placement types. This hands-on period is crucial for establishing your market position and refining your processes. You learn which models (retained, contingent, contract) work best for your target market and build your initial client base through direct relationships. Stage 2 - The Friend and Family Expansion CAUTION: This is where many agencies stumble. When overwhelmed founders try to scale by having friends or family join without proper training or recruiting experience , it usually backfires and often leads to the founder deciding to remain an independent headhunter. I've seen this attempted countless times - it rarely works and usually forces a pivot to Stage 3 or retrace to Stage 1. Stage 3 - The "Full-Desk" Recruiter Welcome to the "Renaissance Recruiter" phase - hiring full-desk recruiters who manage everything from business development to placements. This model can work well however, the best often leave to start their own agency. Without an incredible training program, robust ATS/CRM or Talent Intelligence Platform, and management it's difficult to get to stage 4, and for those targeting enterprise clients or high-volume staffing needs, this structure typically maxes out as recruiters become overwhelmed trying to juggle client and candidate responsibilities. Stage 4 - Role Specialization This is where scalable growth begins. You start separating functions: - Account Managers/Sales - Dedicated Recruiters - Sourcers/Researchers - Coordinators Most agencies hit this stage when managing 30+ active requirements across different hiring models. Stage 5 - Multi-Division Maturity The full-service model emerges. Growth typically happens through: - Creating specialized divisions (Executive Search, Professional Direct Hire, Contract Staffing) - Building industry vertical teams (Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, etc.) - Developing functional practice groups - Establishing dedicated operations teams (Research, Business Development, Marketing, Back-office) Successful agencies at this stage have: - Clear commission and compensation structures - Strong training and development programs - Have already upgraded to a Talent Intelligence Platform or plan to at their next ATS contract renewal - Multiple revenue streams across hiring models - Internal mobility between divisions - Geographic expansion through new offices or remote teams The key is understanding which stage best suits your market strategy, lifestyle and goals. How does this progression align with your agency's journey? #recruiting #executivesearch

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🐸 Paraform x ContactOut Unlike in sales, in recruiting, personal emails matter a lot more than corporate emails - most outreach happens there. We're also aware that some independent/freelance recruiters, especially those who are just starting out, don't have the budget to pay for expensive sourcing tools. Now, using our chrome extension, you can get candidate's personal emails, powered by ContactOut (we hear from our recruiters it's the best in the industry!) and reach out to candidates. Want to give it a try and start making placements on Paraform? Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gMRXGncp

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