Workbook: How to Find & Engage Great Talent

Lightspeed Ventures Founder Workshop

Founder Workshop: Agenda

Part 1 �Improving your online presence

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Part 2�Engaging your network

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Part 2�Optimizing your outreach

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INTRODUCTION

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01.

Improve your online presence

02.

Engage your network (like a sourcer)

3 Ways to Build Candidate Pipeline

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

• Clear and visible mission statement and/or value proposition
• Have advisors/investors listed on your website
• Leverage press, or create your own

• Make it easy for your contacts to intro you
• Build out your connections (and tangent source)
• Go beyond LinkedIn (Twitter, Meetups, etc.)
• Play the long game with a hi-pri list

03.

Optimize your outreach

• Be candidate centric - Focus on specific accomplishments, compliments
• Use social engineering - Create connection, mitigate perception of risk
• Master your company pitch- Clear vision, compelling hook, personal connection.
• Send sequences - 2-3 follow-ups + opportunity to stay connected

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• Focus on subject lines

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Improve Your Online Presence: Brand Audit

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Assess your LinkedIn profile (both company and your personal profile), company website, and career page

• Is your “about me” filled out in your LinkedIn profile to highlight career accomplishments as a Founder (not as an IC)?
• Is your mission visible?
• Is the product value proposition clear?
• Is it clear you are hiring through job descriptions or a simple “email me” link?
• Does your team show they work there, do they have pictures, is the description consistent?
• Do you have advisors/investors listed?
• Do you have a crunchbase profile?
• Do you have an angellist profile?

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Where to post open roles

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Here are a few recommended sites to post your open roles that are targeted for early stage startups:

• Angel’s List
• Lenny’s Newsletter & Lenny’s Talent Collective
• Pallet
• Stack Overflow
• Crunchboard
• VentureLoop
• We Work Remotely

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Sourcing on Github

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

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Relevant Links from Video

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https://github.com/search/advanced

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filename:resume "software engineer" ios NOT examples NOT jobs NOT job

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extension:json filename:resume "san francisco" javascript

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extension:json filename:resume javascript graphql

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Find Engineers at larger companies: https://github.com/airbnb/javascript

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Profile walkthrough: https://github.com/kanglicheng

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Want to learn how to source on Github?

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Here is a video to help you learn best practices.

• Zoom Link
• Passcode: j$QBVT4E

Setting up your sourcing funnel

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Step 1

Set up your Gem Account

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Step 2

Build your default sequence and company pitch

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Step 3

Create a list of contacts that can provide strong leads and referrals

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Step 4

Source weekly and send lightly customized outreach through Gem

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

2-3 hours

30 mins/week

Engage Your Network: Candidate Intro Email

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Hi [NAME],

I hope all is well. A quick ask: I would love a warm intro to [candidate] for the [X] role. Would you feel comfortable introducing us? I see you are connected on LI. Below is some intro text you can use. No sweat at all if not. Let me know; I really appreciate this either way. Thanks!

Hey [CANDIDATE NAME], I was catching up with Jane Doe recently, CEO of [COMPANY] (funded by X). Their vision is to XYZ.

Jane mentioned she’s thinking about the right executive leadership for the next stage. She asked me if I knew anyone really great, whether or not they were looking; naturally, I thought of you. No expectations, but you are both terrific and I feel you’ll really like meeting each other. Can I introduce you for a call? Here are a couple of links to learn more about their company.

[Insert company press]

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Who to tangent source off of:

Engage Your Network: Tangent Sourcing

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

• Recruiters/sourcers who hire the same position at other companies
• Your Team
• People who identify as URG

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Improved Outreach Message: Founder

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Sub: Jane, want to help combat climate change?

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Hi Jane,

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Your unique mix of mobile and product knowledge caught my attention, especially the work you did at BeepBop rebuilding their new user sign up flow.

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I’m Lia, the co-founder/CTO of Treeful—we just closed a $10.2 mil round with Lightspeed Ventures. We’re revolutionizing carbon offsets through a two-sided marketplace. Our quest is to leverage the power of network effects to fight climate change.

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We’re hiring for a few positions right now but honestly I’d just love to connect and learn more about you. With your experience, I could see you having a huge impact here, and happy to talk even if you’re not actively looking for something new.

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Do you have time for a quick call in the next couple weeks?

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Founder Outreach Message: Template

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Sub: <name> <> first iOS engineer at [Insert company]

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Hello {{first_name}},

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Your unique mix of [pull specifics from their LinkedIn] caught my attention. I’m with [Company], a new startup on a mission to [insert company mission].

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A little bit about us: [expand upon the mission and the value proposition, and the problem you are trying to solve].

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As the first mobile engineer, your contributions will [insert specific impact to the company].

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We just raised [X amount] seed round led by Lightspeed Ventures, and have an incredible [enter current #] person cross-disciplinary founding team.

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I’d love to get on a quick call to learn more about what you’ve been working on recently. Do you have time in the next couple weeks?

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Improved Outreach Message: HM/Recruiter

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Sub: Jane <> first iOS engineer at Treeful

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Hello Jane,

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Your unique mix of mobile and product knowledge and experience caught my attention. I’m with Treeful, a new startup evolutionizing carbon offsets through a two-sided marketplace.

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A little bit about us: We are on a quest to mitigate climate change and through our proprietary carbon accounting software, we help businesses and individuals reduce their carbon footprint.

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As the first mobile engineer, your contributions to the codebase will set the direction of the company. You’ll be working closely with our founders, front end team, PM, and designer to bring our software into the hands of every business in North America. .

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We just raised $10.5 M seed round led by Lightspeed Ventures, and have an incredible 7 person cross-disciplinary founding team.

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I’d love to get on a quick call to learn more about what you’ve been working on recently. Do you have time in the next couple weeks?

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Optimize Your Outreach: Sending Sequences

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

Follow up Message #1

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Hi {{first_name}},

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Just wanted to check back in and see if you have a few minutes for a quick call. Also happy to share more about the role here if that’s easier. Your <iOS> experience with <mobile and product> is exactly what we’re looking for and I would regret it if I didn’t do everything I could to get you on the phone!

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Follow up Message #2

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Hi {{first_name}},

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I wanted to check in one last time in case this got buried in your inbox, and share some press that Treeful has recently gotten in Techcrunch and Forbes.

�Even if the timing isn’t right for this role, I’d still love to make the connection with you in case something shifts down the line.

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Focus on Subject Lines

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

• Personalize: “Loved your recent blogpost about user-centered mobile design!”
• Leverage personal connections: “Lisa Hernandez thought we should connect!”
• Spark curiosity: “Want to help combat climate change?”
• Mention company differentiators: “Fully remote opportunity at Treeful, a Lightspeed Ventures-backed start-up”

Resources:

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• Best practices and benchmarks for email outreach
• The anatomy of a great cold recruiting email

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Outreach metrics

HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

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4 Tips to Improve Your Outreach

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Pre-workshop prep: A recent outreach message I sent to a candidate was:

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HOW TO FIND AND ENGAGE GREAT TALENT

During the workshop: Using the 4 tips, I could improve my outreach message to say:

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Copy and paste your outreach message here

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Write your updated outreach message here

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Thank you!

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