Michigan Founders Fund’s Post

Calling all Head of Product / VPs!!! We recently announced our new VentureFizz Select program where we help companies with evaluating applies and direct sourcing top talent for executive level positions. Our first assignment has been focused on a Head of Marketing position... and I'm proud to say... all of the candidates that matched up with the requirements are actively interviewing with the CEO. It's an effective way to save founders & companies time... and on the flip side... for candidates... they are getting seen, versus being lumped into hundreds if not 1,000+ applies. We are working on a new assignment for a VP, Product (remote) at Higharc which is changing how new homes are designed and built. The company recently announced a $53M Series B round of funding. Here is a link to the description:  https://lnkd.in/gicubQ9d - if you are interested, please apply (I'm the one reviewing the applies 👍) #productmanagement #productleadership

Hiring More But Working Longer? You're Not Alone. A conversation with a startup co-owner yesterday hit home: Co-owner: "Melissa, we've hired six new positions, but I'm still clocking 13-hour days." Me: "Frustrating, right? More hires often mean more questions and decisions." Co-owner: "Exactly! And I have a seven-year-old at home." Me: "This is normal. It's about roles, responsibilities, and decision-making. And yes, we can fix this." Sound familiar? Growth should energize, not exhaust you. If more staff = longer days, you need: 🎯 Crystal-Clear Roles: Everyone knows their lane. 🛠 Streamlined Decisions: Fewer bottlenecks, more action. 🌟 Empowered Leaders: They handle more, you stress less. Ready to turn busy into balanced?

🚀 Exciting News! Harness has been named one of the 2024 LinkedIn Top Startups in Boston and Dallas, two markets where we’re seeing incredible growth! 🌟 As we continue to expand, we're always looking for talented individuals to join our mission. If you’re preparing for your next big opportunity with us (or any other company), our Chief People Officer, Luan Lam, has shared some excellent tips for nailing your interview in the video below: 1️⃣ Research the company – Ensure your mission, vision, and values align. 2️⃣ Understand the job description – Match your experience to the role’s responsibilities. 3️⃣ Know your resume – Be ready to provide specific examples of your achievements. And most importantly, don't forget to show up as your authentic self! 💡 PS: We’re hiring! Check out our open roles here: https://lnkd.in/gZ3EAyuj #LinkedInTopStartups #Boston #Dallas #CareerTips

Hiring More But Working Longer? You're Not Alone. A conversation with a startup co-owner yesterday hit home: Co-owner: "Melissa, we've hired six new positions, but I'm still clocking 13-hour days." Me: "Frustrating, right? More hires often mean more questions and decisions." Co-owner: "Exactly! And I have a seven-year-old at home." Me: "This is normal. It's about roles, responsibilities, and decision-making. And yes, we can fix this." Sound familiar? Growth should energize, not exhaust you. If more staff = longer days, you need: 🎯 Crystal-Clear Roles: Everyone knows their lane. 🛠 Streamlined Decisions: Fewer bottlenecks, more action. 🌟 Empowered Leaders: They handle more, you stress less. Ready to turn busy into balanced?

Hiring a Chief of Staff at the seed stage is something people LOVE dunking on on X But I regularly come across Chief of Staff openings at seed startups, so either founders are dumb (unlikely) or they’re realizing what kind of leverage they could get sooner…so they’re getting aggressive with fast-tracking a CoS hire and not waiting until their Series A They’re also getting aggressive with comp🔥like top of market salary bands (up to $200k) and very generous equity (~1%, which is unheard of) Exciting to see the changes happening on the frontlines of recruiting for this role. (PS see below for some CoS humor 😂) #chiefofstaff #recruiting

🎉 Big news! We raised our $15M+ Series A led by FinTech Collective, with our existing investors Motive Ventures and Cherry Ventures also doubling down on bunch. Our amazing team is at the forefront of innovation, breaking barriers, creating value... building the backbone of private markets! 🚀 This step will enable us to further invest in our product, accelerate bunch’s growth by expanding into new jurisdictions and asset classes, and grow our superstar team of industry experts! Check out our open positions, in case you want to jump on a spaceship: ➕ Head of Product ➕Senior Product Manager ➕Account Executive ➕Account Manager ➕Fund Operations Manager And more (follow the link in the comments). 💙 I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved so far and can’t wait for what’s to come.

I’m strongly against shiny job descriptions, especially in early-stage startups. When people hear titles like ‘VP’, they often assume they’ll manage many people, focus on strategy all day, and take their time. While in startups, regardless of your role, you need to get your hands dirty, work hard, embrace change, and iterate quickly. There’s a major upside if the company succeeds: You get significant stock options, and you have a good chance of becoming an exec in a large company if you’re good. But it can’t be your only motivation: You need to love that grind. The excitement of building something new. Learn a ton of stuff. Wearing many hats. That your opinion and your performance matter more. Expectation setting here is key, to avoid making the wrong match for the company and the candidate. P.S. - Jiga is hiring! Check out job openings on the company page.

One major pitfall for early-stage founders? ⏱ Hesitating too much on hiring! Waiting for that 'perfect' candidate could be your downfall. Here's the real deal: Startup hiring is all about spotting the diamonds in the rough—those non-obvious, undervalued gems. ✨ And get this: If you’re doing it right, you’ll nail it about 50% of the time. So, what's the game plan? Move quickly, scale up fast, and never forget—the speed at which you execute is the game changer here. 🚀 Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress. Your team’s potential awaits!

When we made our first hires at Archer, we had one non-negotiable: Pure hustlers. Quite simple. We wanted people to join David and me who matched our aggression and ambition. Throughout our growth phase, I’ve seen how hiring priorities shift at every stage of a startup's life. In the early stages of most startups, you need hustlers. Professional 0-1ers who use brute force to move the needle. At this stage, expertise takes a backseat, and the focus is on finding people who can knock down walls and make things happen. As you grow, you start needing experts, those 20-year experience sales guys, a proper CFO... For us, that first hire was my high-school roommate Benny Reines. Advisors said, “Make a big splash, maybe an ex-Amazon guy.” But that’s not who we were looking for. I was on the hunt to find and convince one of the boys I knew had the grit and drive to get things done. And the result? He’s still crushing it every day. In those early days, you need people who break through walls and discover the back door to new opportunities. No regrets. (Me on the right, Benny on the left—back in our high school days)

#HiringChallenges #ExFounders #StartupLife Hey everyone! 😊 So, I’ve been diving into the world of hiring experienced founders or ex-founders, and I must say, it's been a bit more challenging than I anticipated. You'd think they’d be ideal candidates with their unique backgrounds—lots of startup experience, incredible problem-solving skills, and the ability to juggle multiple roles. But here are some insights I've gathered: Strong Opinions & Ownership: Many ex-founders come in with a clear vision and may expect a level of ownership that the role simply can’t provide. This can lead to friction if their expectations don’t match the company culture. Overqualification Concerns: These folks often bring a ton of experience to the table, which is great! However, I worry about whether they'd stay engaged in roles that don't allow them to lead. There’s a real risk of them feeling stifled in positions that don't leverage their full potential. Decision-Making Speed: Ex-founders are typ... How Can You Successfully Hire Ex-Founders Without Pitfalls? Answers: https://lnkd.in/g667_tDY