Michael Zhang’s Post

Looking to join an early stage company as a pure manager? Here's the honest truth: Many of them aren't looking for to hire team members who solely want to be managers. What was the case in 2022 no longer holds true in 2024. "But they've raised a Series A! How do they not need managers? How are they going to scale?" I hear this a lot these days, and I don't think all companies have this figured out. But the default operating mentality at so many companies is to be in scrappy mode. And if they want to hire a manager, it's often in a player-coach role where you're rolling up the sleeves. The founders want to trust any manager to know their business, not just the prior company's playbook. They want leaders who can be in the weeds, not just doing "strategy." This was the case before Founder Mode was even coined. Just in the past month here's what I've come across in client conversations: ➡️ A Series A AI co let their VP of Sales go for being too high-level. They want a Director of Sales now. ➡️ A Series A data platform co let their CRO go after they realized they still couldn't demo the product. They want a scrappy VP Sales now. ➡️ A Series A AI model co is looking for a tech lead, not a VP or Director of engineering, to own an entire multi-million product line. Dotted line reports day one, but no high-scale team ownership. ➡️ A Series A fintech co is seeking a CS leader, but they want this person to manage a book of accounts so they can write the playbook from personal experience. Manager mode is out for now, and I'm seeing founders get more and more done with leaner teams. The learning loop only reinforces the thinking that's in vogue: why hire someone who only manages? Does this mean you can't be a manager? Not really. It just means the timing is often more organic. Teams aren't promised to you day one -- because they're not on the headcount roadmap! But as companies scale, new layers and structures are needed. Founders just don't want to overpromise, and it's hard to see what things look like one year out. If you want that instant team leadership, Series C and D may be a better place to look. And when we lead searches, we look for that unique leader combination of roll-up-sleeves mentality, an ability to do the work of their team (rather than talk about it), and a deep sense of humility in learning through doing and first principles, rather than relying on past knowledge. We're in a new era now of building startups.

“I’m a seasoned and detail-oriented executive looking for a mission-driven company with a great culture in a space I’m excited about.” 😆 ^^ example of what NOT to say if you’re looking for your next thing. This gives the other person no real information about you or what opportunities to send your way. Try the Mission-Sector-Stage-Role framework instead. It turns your advocates into referral sources for job opportunities. Mission: What matters to you most in your next chapter? Sector: What industry, sector or problem space are you targeting? Stage: How big of a company would you like to join? Role: What would you like to spend your time doing? Some examples: - Series A-C climatetech startups where I can continue leading Product - 3x VP Growth at early-stage consumer marketplace businesses - Targeting a growth-stage B2B SaaS startup leading Strategic Finance while learning from a killer CFO - Early-stage generalist passionate about using AI to improve the accuracy of medical procedures - VP Eng for fintech startups, usually around Series B when they’re figuring out how to scale Empower your #networking contacts to help you: be specific about what you want next using the MSSR framework. Full Job Search Strategy workshop around this topic on the NEXT Careers website if you'd like to go deeper!

You can remove the requirement for a bachelor's degree from the job description. Move on. It's simply a shame to miss out on a talented individual with a lot of experience and knowledge, and therefore a lot of potential to impact your startup's various efforts. For example, headhunters are approaching me to become a CMO at companies with 100-1000 people. In almost every job description they share with me, there’s a requirement for a mandatory bachelor's degree. So, I guess I'm not suitable, and since I’m not planning to return to being an employee, I don't mind personally. I have a high school diploma because I wrote "please pass me" on the math final exam, and they actually passed me 🙂 I couldn’t finish my degree at University and dropped out. Instead, I founded a marketing agency that grew to dozens of people, moved on to CMO roles in startups with dozens of people and budgets of tens of millions of dollars, founded a startup that was sold, and I now advise small and large startups, building growth and marketing strategies with them. But a degree? I don’t have one. Shame on me.

A VP I worked with previously very generously connected me with one of their directors to discuss an open role. I asked if they could show me an example of a problem I’d have to solve. It’s a new role on a small team that would require a lot of precious, technical experience. About halfway through our scheduled time, I paused him: Me: “I’d love to learn this. But it sounds like you need someone experienced to fix this, not just someone hungry to learn. Even in this tough job market, I don’t want to hop into something that I wouldn’t be successful in.” Director: “Thanks so much for being transparent early on. You’re right, we’re looking for someone that can take off running. How can I help you? What are you looking for? Here are resources x, y, and z. Please message me if you see I’m a mutual connection. Happy to introduce you.” Me: “Likewise, I know of some solid people that may be a great fit.” I was reminded that honesty wins for everyone in the long run — for your customers, teammates, and your network. ✨ #openforwork #interviewtips #interview #startup #tech #customersuccess #accountmanagement #sales #ecommerce #ai #fintech

🧠 In the early stages of a startup, you can't afford a large team of marketing specialists. You need generalists who can wear multiple hats, learn quickly, and adapt to change. Look for marketers who have: ✅ A track record of driving results in fast-paced environments ✅ The ability to point to specific, measurable outcomes achieved ✅ A clear process for problem-solving and execution Beyond skills and experience, hire for aptitude, attitude, and cultural fit. The best early-stage marketers are: 1️⃣ Curious and data-driven 2️⃣ Proactive and resilient 3️⃣ Passionate about your mission 4️⃣ Able to thrive in a collaborative, feedback-driven environment As you scale, add specialists as needed but keep the team lean. Empower them to work cross-functionally and invest in their growth. Don't be afraid to upgrade talent as the business needs evolve. The right team will be your secret weapon in unlocking exponential growth. What's the most important trait you look for when hiring early marketing talent? #founders #startups #growth

I don't have any hard data or cool charts to share, but I can tell you (anecdotally) that things in tech are improving, even since just Q1 / spring. And no this is not a sponsored post by the NASDAQ Here is what I'm experiencing: 1) Sentiment for training. There is a strong interest amongst revenue execs to invest in their peeps. It's almost night and day how much more "bought in" leaders are right now, than in previous quarters / years. Investment in people = growing (and stabilized) companies. 2) Funding rounds. You've likely seen more updates in your feed about companies who have raised lately. Me too. Plus based on updates I read from places like Carta and Pitchbook, the overall funding environment seems to be trending in the right direction. 3) Hiring for execs. I'm getting made aware, basically weekly at this point, about CRO / VP sales / Head of RevOps roles. This is good news. Yes, some are to replace the incumbent leader. But this is a stark contrast to how things had been, when companies just were not hiring leaders, period. 4) Smiles. We've done many IRL events the last 3-4 months. People are simply happier. In better moods. When I ask how biz is going, they're more positive and energetic. (Booze helps) 5) Investments. Companies are buying new tools and services within enablement, at a much faster clip than I can remember in recent history. Seems every call I'm on lately, they're telling me about how they either just bought this or that tool, or are actively looking to implement 1, 2 3 things. Again, this is all anecdotal. And you might read this and have a very different feeling based on your business or place in the ecosystem. But personally, I'm seeing lots of positive stuff right now. And it's exciting! PS - if #1 above resonates with you, DM me. Sales Assembly can help :)

Don't reinvent the wheel. I first started thinking about running my own business because I was having so many conversations with startup founders, sharing insights around proven, more efficient ways of hiring better -- things I had learned through my decade in HR and recruiting but not obvious things most founders would know. There is A LOT of research done around the hiring process: ✅ How to write job ads to increase the diversity of applicants ✅ How to structure interview processes to better predict success ✅ How to hire with a focus on retention, not just a short-term fill ✅ How to reduce bias in the hiring process ✅ How to improve candidate experience and brand loyalty (irrespective of the hiring outcome) So when I get to talk to early stage founders, I am hoping to save them hundreds of tears (and hours). It was great to join the startup teams at the Monash Generator talk about things hiring. Huge thanks to the amazing Keri Clarke for your leadership, passion and invite to join your teams last week. I can't wait to follow their successes! #hiring #startups Series Build

💡 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩? 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬💡 When recruiting for a startup or company with an entrepreneurial environments, these are traits I look out for: 👥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲: It’s critical in a startup’s high-pressure environment. Your team will spend long hours together, so hiring individuals who connect, communicate openly, and respect each other will help you avoid team burnout. 🔑 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞: Even in sales or marketing, the person you hire should have a strong grasp of your industry. Look for those with unique insights into the market's challenges and opportunities—this domain knowledge offers a competitive edge. 💡 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: Your team should bring fresh perspectives and unconventional ideas. You want people who can see beyond the obvious and challenge the status quo—this is essential for building category-defining products or breaking into tough markets. 🎯 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Startups demand focus, and so should your hires. Look for those who can prioritize the highest-value activities and say "no" to distractions. Spreading energy across too many projects weakens momentum. 💯 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲: The "fake it ’til you make it" mindset doesn’t work in startups. You need team members who are comfortable admitting when they don’t know something and can grow with the company. Authenticity fosters trust with both customers and investors. 🔥 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: In a startup, calculated risk is the name of the game. You need to hire people who aren’t afraid to take risks and push boundaries, yet can assess those risks wisely to drive growth. 🤝 𝐄𝐠𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤: Confidence is essential, but humility is what drives continuous learning and improvement. Your best hires are those who will surround themselves with even more talented people and be open to feedback, always learning and iterating. In any startup, the right team is the difference between growth and stagnation. Whether it’s sales, marketing, or product, make sure your hires share the startup mentality—driven, innovative, and committed to the vision. Inspired by a recent Fast Company article: https://lnkd.in/grE7Z5Br

Have you noticed this before in other companies? What I have learned about hiring and scaling several startups and hiring is, that success isn't just about having the right product—it's about how you go to market.  Let's discuss why hiring outside your industry could be the secret sauce to your GTM strategy! Frequently, hiring managers and recruiters lean towards the notion that internal industry hires are the most secure option. After all, who understands our market better than someone who's been in it for years? But here's the twist: research suggests that reps hired from outside the industry often outperform their counterparts hired internally.  Why is this the case in with most Startups? Fresh Perspectives: When you bring someone from a different industry, you invite fresh eyes and perspectives. They come armed with innovative ideas and unconventional approaches that can breathe new life into your GTM strategy. Diverse Skill Sets: Startups are a melting pot of skills—from tech prowess to sales finesse. Hiring from diverse backgrounds means tapping into a wide array of talents. Consider how frequently you utter the phrase "We all juggle multiple roles." Someone from a different industry might bring expertise in marketing, customer success, or even psychology—all of which are invaluable in the Startup space. Continuous Learning: I've seen firsthand how hiring outsiders can ignite a company's continuous learning culture. They're eager to understand the nuances of the SaaS world, which pushes everyone else to stay on their toes and constantly evolve. At the end of the day, success in Startups isn't just about what you know—it's about your ability to adapt, innovate, and stay ahead of the curve. So, consider casting your net wider next time you're looking to expand your team. Prioritize creating easily understandable content that can efficiently educate both your customers and your GTM teams. Remember, you’re not just ramping up a new marketer or account executive, you’re ramping up your customers as well. #SaaS #GrowthStrategy #GoToMarket #Hiring #Innovation #gtm #gtmstrategy #revenuegrowth #revenue #ThoughtLeadership