Candidate Labs’ Post

Hiring an in-house RevOps team isn't *always* the answer... In fact, as an early-stage company, the cons of hiring an in-house RevOps team usually outweigh the pros. Nearly every company we talk to at Iceberg tells us, “Look, we’re actually hiring RevOps internally right now, but maybe you can help us bridge the gap for a couple of months.” Yet, they’ll end up staying for 14 months (on average)... And it makes perfect sense. What our clients quickly find out in their recruiting efforts is that RevOps is *really* expensive for early-stage companies. For instance, a CEO once confessed to me that he was spending $1M/yr on a RevOps team, but he wasn't even sure they had the level of qualification his company needed… So the cost for early-stage companies (think Seed and Series A) is HUGE, and I understand why it might not be a priority yet. But as you grow, that switches; the pros of hiring in-house begin to outweigh the cons. Once you raise a large round or hit a large revenue milestone ($50m per year, for example) and can finally afford a qualified RevOps team while keeping them sufficiently busy, you should absolutely hire them in-house. Developing that institutional knowledge and not having vendor-related risks is huge once you’re beyond the growth stage. This is why we call ourselves the “anti-agency” at Iceberg; we’re a bridge, not a forever solution. In fact, we’ll even help out our clients in the hiring process when it comes time for them to move on and bring in their own RevOps team internally. #b2b #saas #revops #operations #gtm #startups

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🥳 Quick recap: 👏 Hi there, I’m Shiv, I help B2B SaaS startups (Seed /Series A) build and scale GTM teams (Sales, CS, Marketing). Since launching Found, 90% of my clients have come from referrals and repeat business. Check out the 1-pager on my profile for more details and pricing. Looking into 2025... 🚀 I’m kicking off new client projects next week! If you're experienced in or being intentional about joining an early stage startup, register your interest via the link below. 🌱 Join Found: I'll be hiring later in the year - keep an eye out for opportunities! 2025, let's be having ya' 💥 #twentytwentyTHRIVE #75hardNO _________ ♻️ Follow for: ~ Founding GTM roles ~ Hiring insights and best practices ~ My new hiring handbook: “Evolving Beyond Founder-Led Sales” (launching this month)

🚀 Why are marketers so often the first to go at startups? Having worked in startups, I’ve seen how financial constraints and shifting priorities can put marketing teams at risk during tough times. Talking with other #marketers, we’ve all felt this challenge—and it’s not because marketing doesn’t matter. It’s often due to misalignment, misconceptions, or broader pressures startups face. Here are some common reasons marketing roles are vulnerable during layoffs: 1️⃣ Cost-Cutting During Financial Strain When cash flow tightens, marketing can be seen as less critical than engineering or sales, even though it’s essential for long-term growth. 2️⃣ Shifting Business Priorities Startups may pivot quickly, redirecting resources toward new products, markets, or revenue channels, leaving marketing budgets on the chopping block. 3️⃣ Challenges in Measuring ROI Marketing impact often takes time to show. Without clear metrics, it can be undervalued or deprioritized. 4️⃣ Over-Reliance on Performance Marketing Quick wins like paid ads sometimes overshadow long-term strategies like branding or content development, which are harder to justify during cuts. 5️⃣ Pressure to Achieve Profitability Investor expectations can lead to prioritizing short-term survival over strategic investments like marketing. 6️⃣ Outsourcing or Automation AI and outsourcing solutions may replace in-house roles, especially when cost-cutting is top of mind. 7️⃣ Cultural or Leadership Missteps Misunderstanding marketing’s strategic role can lead to undervaluing its contributions. 🧠 But here’s the real question: How do we, as marketers, make ourselves indispensable in startups? This is where strategy comes in. Check out the carousel where I break down 10 practical ways marketers can align with business priorities, drive measurable growth, and prove their value at every stage of a startup’s journey. Let’s keep this conversation going. What strategies have you seen work to highlight marketing’s value?

It’s Wednesday evening, and I’m still grinding, feeling reinspired as we scale Respiris. Just a few pieces left to complete the puzzle. Do you know any co-founders ready for an exciting pivot? Ideally, they are scrappy strategy, know that their startup can’t scale, or has lost confidence in their idea or proofing concept. If so, I am on the lookout for three awesome co-founders (who also play pickleball 🤦🏽♂️🫣😳😃). This is what I am thinking: 1. Co-Founder: B2B2C & B2G2C External Facing Dynamo: Someone who can rock fundraising and grow business in these spaces. 2. Co-Founder: Marketplace Guru: Someone who can help scale our marketplace of coaches and clients. We call our clients candidates for new roles. 3. Co-Founder: Tech Genius: A scrappy visionary technologist who can, using their own hands, stitch or build a tech stack infused with deep empathy, community, and AI magic. Here’s the fun part… 📍 We’ve got an MVP 📍 Revenue 📍 20+ glowing testimonials 📍 Amazing partners 📍 Strong positive signals. 📍 Career Prayer™️ On the table we have recurring revenue, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified, and significant equity is up for grabs to build and grow together. I have serious HR chops from working with public and VC/PE-backed companies. I also have multiple marketplace experiences I have piloted sales and marketing growth marketing opportunities at Transform, LA HR Executive of the Year dinnner and running growth marketing campaigns. As we continue to iterate, we have platforms like Google, Rippling and Slack up and running. Plus, consult and pitch decks? We’ve got those too! #seekingcofounder #sleeplessinLA #growthorbust

Seeing lots of activity around founding GTM hires for tech startups. It doesn’t always have to be a “salesperson.” The first hire should fill in the gaps the founders can’t cover themselves — a character fit and the missing expertise. Here are a few profiles I’d highlight: 1️⃣ The Builder – For startups with no playbook or founders without sales experience. They’re scrappy, thrive in ambiguity, and build processes from scratch. Think: your future VP of Sales. 2️⃣ The Closer – When there’s traction already. They’re laser-focused on turning warm leads into revenue and managing a fast-moving pipeline. Think - "Yes, this person will be willing to get on the phones" 3️⃣ The Evangelist – Perfect for technical founders. A storyteller who can sell both the vision and the product. Great for startups needing to educate and inspire new markets. 4️⃣ The Product Whisperer – Best for complex products. They’re deeply technical and consultative, translating product value into customer language. The right first hire isn’t just about where you’re going — it’s about what you need right now 😃 Which profile do you agree or disagree with? #SaaS #GTM #StartupHiring

Are you on the road to $1M in revenue? Thinking through which GTM hires to make next? Nakul Mandan, an early stage VC at Audacious Ventures, wrote up a great overview for SaaS startups looking for advice on GTM hiring as you scale to $1M and beyond. He emphasizes the CEO’s role in early sales, followed by hiring BDRs to scale pipeline generation. Next, startups should hire AEs and later a Head of Sales once sales become repeatable. The first marketing hire depends on the focus: product marketer for outbound and demand gen marketer for inbound. The approach varies based on each startup’s specific needs and market conditions. Check it out here: https://buff.ly/3WAoi7f

Ok, this is crazy Martech landscape is now at 14k products. 27.8% more than last year. I was assuming this number would go down but now I'm convinced it's only going to keep going up. In fact now I think it's going to increase exponentially. Why? Ease of new business creation. Before, if you wanted to start a tech company, you'd need to search around for a tech cofounder that could build the product. Problem was that all the exceptional ones were getting paid big $$ working at big companies. Now? With AI increasing productivity for coding by ~50%, there's a greater supply of people able to build solid products. Also, AI agents will supposedly be able to do a lot of daily tasks soon Gallup seems to show the public's trust has shifted from large companies to small biz over the past several years so buyers are ready to purchase from individuals they trust. Given the recent surge in personal branding on LI, I wonder if this is a precursor. Mass tech layoffs in the past year or so likely means a boom in new startups are created as a result VC funding will probably be dry for next couple years until interest rates drop again meaning the newly created startups will stay small/lean to keep operational costs down We'll probably see a TON of <10 employee companies doing <$10M ARR that don't necessarily go unicorn or anything but remain profitable I wonder if the 'middle class' of tech orgs will decrease in favor of large incumbents and the plethora of micro orgs about to hit the scene Winning deals will be like jobseeking is today - 1000 applicants and bots doing the heavy lifting from both sides #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #marketingai #aiinmarketing

From zero to hero in 6 months? 🚀 I thought it was impossible. But that's exactly what happened when a skeptical startup founder finally gave me a chance. Here's how it went down: • Company: E-Commerce SaaS startup • Challenge: Scaling team from 10 to 50 • Timeline: 6 months • Initial stance: "Headhunters are too expensive" The founder's first words to me: "Prove me wrong." Challenge accepted. Month 1-2: • Filled 5 key leadership roles • Reduced time-to-hire by 40% • Quality of candidates? Off the charts Month 3-4: • 15 more hires across engineering and product • Diversity increased by 35% • Employee retention rate: 95% Month 5-6: • Final 20 roles filled • Scaling goals met 2 months early • ROI on headhunting fees: 300% The founder's words now? "I can't believe we waited this long. You've transformed our business." From skeptic to believer in 180 days. This isn't just a success story. It's a wake-up call. Are you still on the fence about headhunters? Let's chat. Your success story could be next. Drop a 👋 in the comments if you want to learn more about scaling your startup the smart way. #StartupGrowth #HeadhuntingWorks #ScalingSuccess

See how we helped our client, IBI Group find a Director, Growth and Product Marketing with experience leading growth marketing initiatives for various B2B tech startups, to drive growth and demand gen for their Innovation Lab. Check out our case study below to learn more about this successful hire! #ProductMarketingLeader #GrowthMarketingLeader #MarketingRecruiter #ProductMarketingRecruiter #Recruitment

📣 🎉 We've hit an inflection point in growth at Founders You Should Know and we're hiring for a full-time Head of Operations and Community! This role is US-based with a strong preference for the Bay Area, as we're looking for the perfect person to help us scale the FYSK showcases for 2025. If the following sounds exciting to you, DM me, we'd love to hear from you. == You’re excited to take the reins of a platform which has immense product market fit and turn it into an execution machine. This role is a perfect fit for a detail-oriented, self-directed leader who is excited about technology and startups. We are accelerating the pace of technological innovation by helping connect the best engineers to the fastest growing, breakout founders and the startups they lead. We’re at an inflection point here at FYSK: we’ve already built a top tier brand among engineers and founders, a very strong network of top founder and VC relationships, and a promising new investment platform of our own. Our monthly showcases generate thousands of applications, we have over 8k subscribers to our newsletter, over 2k subscribers to our YouTube channel, and a fast-growing community of top talent. Now we’re looking for the perfect person to help us scale the growth, value and quality of the community. Here are some of the activities that are already working for us that we’d like your help with doubling down on: - Organize and execute 10 showcases in 2025: 7 in SF and 3 in NY - including planning, rehearsals, day-of operations, and post-show follow-up activities - Grow our bespoke process for making matches between the best high-growth startups and top engineering talent from our network - Co-host monthly founder dinners and happy hours for the FYSK community in SF We’re looking for someone who is extremely detail oriented -- owning the production of an epic show for 250 people and 12 founders every 4-6 weeks requires meticulous detail-orientation and impeccable execution. A great candidate will also excel at written and verbal communications with sponsors, co-hosts, founders, and talent, planning, and resourcefulness. This role has tremendous growth potential because it requires the ownership of clear results and will be at the center of a community that includes many of the fastest growing startups, best founders, and top-tier investors. We expect this to be a minimum 2-year position, which will give candidates enough time to grow the network, services, and platform, get exposure to a new type of community-driven investing, while working on new product launches and experiments with the team. This will be a career-defining experience and we hope you’ll consider joining us!