Work directly with founders and investors to source and connect top technical talent for early-stage startups. Scout passive candidates across GitHub, niche communities, and social platforms; build talent maps and pipelines; craft high-signal outreach; advise candidates and make warm introductions. Focus on long-term relationship building and in-person engagement within the NYC startup ecosystem.
Working directly with top founders & investors
We work alongside some of the most ambitious early-stage startups in New York - often at the exact moment when talent strategy and execution determine whether or not they will succeed.
Our backgrounds span building the founding/early teams at Kalshi, Traba, Actively, OpenDoor, Sola, Numeric, Arena AI, Avoca, Clay, Meta, and more. We're also a trusted talent partner to Conviction, support founders across their portfolio company from day zero.
This is not a traditional recruiting role. It will span talent scouting, company building, operations, the essential pieces that give early stage companies lift off - working with founders as we assemble the first teams that matter.
Why This Role Is a Big Deal
- Early founders spend ~40–50% of their time on hiring — you’ll learn how the best do it.
- You’ll see how generational companies are built from the ground up, starting with talent
- You’ll work alongside founders and partners with investments from Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Khosla Ventures, Conviction, BCV, and Amplify
- You’ll build judgment, taste, and a personal network that compounds for years
- If you’re curious about founders, startups, or the venture ecosystem — this is one of the fastest ways to get close to the action.
What You’ll Actually Do
🔍 Talent Scouting
- Identify exceptional engineers and builders before they’re actively looking
- Source creatively across GitHub, niche technical communities, Twitter/X, private networks, and emerging platforms
- Develop a sharp instinct for signal vs. noise in early-career and senior technical talent
🧠 Pipeline Building
- Build and maintain high-quality talent maps for critical early-stage roles
- Track relationships over time — this is long-game relationship building, not transactional outreach
✍️ High-Signal Outreach
- Write thoughtful, human outreach that resonates with top builders
- Tell compelling stories about companies, founders, and problems worth working on
🤝 Matchmaking & Advisory
- Act as a trusted connector between high-caliber talent and top founders
- Help candidates think through tradeoffs (stage, risk, learning curve, upside)
- Make warm, thoughtful introductions — quality over quantity
Who This Is For
- You’re early in your career but want exposure to high-growth startups and venture-backed founders
- You’re curious, resourceful, and comfortable operating without a script
- You don’t rely on LinkedIn alone — you enjoy finding people others miss
- You care deeply about your craft and have strong taste
- You’re NYC-based and want to be plugged into the local startup ecosystem, in person
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What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
