To stand out to recruiters, frame your experience as a clear before-and-after story of business growth. For example, "I joined when we were a Series A with $5M ARR; we are now at $300M." This tangible, up-and-to-the-right narrative is the most valuable gift you can give a recruiter looking for business builders.
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Instead of just sending a resume, prove your value upfront by delivering something tangible and useful. This could be a report on a website bug, an analysis of API documentation, or a suggested performance improvement. This 'helping' act immediately shifts the dynamic from applicant to proactive contributor.
To recruit for the declining Pampered Chef, the team didn't sell the kitchenware product. They sold a compelling story: the chance to learn and grow quickly in a meritocracy, and be part of a historic business transformation. This attracted ambitious talent who wanted to build something unique.
A person's past rate of growth is the best predictor of their future potential. When hiring, look for evidence of a steep learning curve and rapid progression—their 'slope.' This is more valuable than their current title or accomplishments, as people tend to maintain this trajectory.
If you don't have a clear revenue growth story, you can still create a powerful narrative. Focus on repeatable, high-value accomplishments, such as being the founding PM on three different zero-to-one products or successfully migrating two on-prem platforms to SaaS. This demonstrates specialized, in-demand expertise.
Instead of focusing on ATS optimization, a resume should be a narrative that answers: 1) Where do you work? 2) What's the product? 3) Why were you hired (to solve a problem or realize an opportunity)? and 4) What did you achieve? This framework provides the context hiring managers actually need.
When a recruiter or hiring manager reaches out, your first discovery question should be, "What was it about my profile that led you to want to book time with me?" Their answer reveals the specific problem they think you can solve, allowing you to immediately focus your narrative on their highest-priority need.
Individual effort is like climbing a ladder, but working at a rapidly growing company puts that ladder on an escalator. The company's momentum creates opportunities and upward movement for you that are independent of your own climbing speed, drastically accelerating your career progression.
When transitioning to a new industry, your lack of domain knowledge is secondary. Focus on your "superpower": the proven, repeatable process you use to deliver results. Articulate your ability to launch, rally teams, and solve problems, as these core skills are universally valuable.
Technical executives often fail in interviews with PE firms because they can't articulate the business value of their work. Candidates must prepare to speak like they're in a board meeting, clearly connecting their initiatives to measurable outcomes like cost savings, revenue lift, or efficiency gains.
High-growth companies create a virtuous cycle for talent. The faster a company grows, the more career advancement opportunities it creates, which attracts the best people. This influx of A-players then accelerates growth further. Conversely, stagnation creates a vicious cycle, repelling top candidates and making growth harder to achieve.
