Talentism

Huw coaches founders and their leadership teams to create clarity, attain alignment, and unleash their potential. He has worked with CEOs of VC and PE backed software and technology companies on both growth trajectories and supported them through turnaround or transition.

Huw is a 3-time founder, investor, and speaker turned executive coach. His corporate career centered around his work at Goldman Sachs, Rackspace, and Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund with $160bn under management. While at Bridgewater Associates he was a Senior Management Associate responsible for Portfolio Analytics. In 2016 he acquired and later sold Jungle Disk, a cybersecurity company previously owned by Rackspace. He co-founded CyberFortress, a VC-backed insurtech startup in 2018 (where he also became a Talentism client!). He also co-founded Porthcawl Holdings, a value-driven technology holding company, investing in startups and businesses in the SaaS and bitcoin space.

Huw holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Ford Scholar and Baker Scholar, and holds undergraduate and masters degrees in mathematics from Oxford University,

Huw is a proud Welshman who lives with his wife and young son in San Antonio, Texas. He is a board member of the local Entrepreneurs Organization responsible for the Accelerator program, helping budding entrepreneurs scale their businesses to 7-figures. He is also Vice President of Programming for the Harvard Business School Club of San Antonio. His compulsions include identifying gifts in adversity, creating inspiring visions, radical self-discipline, and running 100 mile races in the mountains.

CEO/Founder/Executive Coach

H3.xyz

Do you feel like you’ve achieved everything you’ve set your sights on in your work, yet somehow you still feel unfulfilled?

On the outside you are smiling. But on the inside, you are quietly suffering. Despite all of your success you frequently find yourself wondering "Is this really all there is to life?"

There is a nagging voice in your head telling you that you need to make a change. This voice is getting louder and it's becoming difficult to ignore.

You feel an inner calling. You know there is a bigger impact you want to make or a bigger vision to pursue.

You drift into daydreams about making a change and then quickly snap yourself out of it and back into reality because you fear that if you make a big change it will lead to a cascade of negative impacts in your life.

As a driven go-getter with a full-time job and a family, it feels irresponsible to take time to figure out who you truly are and what you actually want.

If any of this feels familiar, you are in the right place at the right time.

You don't have to wrestle with this alone. I can show you how to take this uncertainty and transform it into clarity.

Founder & CEO

CyberFortress

After Jungle Disk acquired LiveVault, KeepItSafe, Off-site Data Sync in 2021 the combined global business was re-branded CyberFortress in July 2022.

Board Director

Interim CEO

CyberFortress Insurance services was an insurtech startup backed by Greycroft and Live Oak Venture Partners. Founded in 2018 the company was shut down in 2022 and its IP sold to Jungle Disk, LLC. 

——

Ecommerce outages happen - when they do, expect a check from CyberFortress. CyberFortress insurance covers your online sales revenue—paying claims within 24 hours.

We know how hard buying insurance is and how painful making a claim can be. That's why we built a simple policy that you can sign up for in minutes that covers lost revenue due to an unexpected website outage.

CEO & Co-Founder, CyberFortress Insurance Services / CyberFortress, Inc.

Porthcawl Holdings, LLC

Holding company investing in bitcoin, startups building the new bitcoin economy, cybersecurity software and managed IT services companies.

Direct investments:
• Purchased Jungle Disk from Rackspace (announced January 15th, 2016)
• Launched CyberFortress Insurance Services in January 2018.
• Launched Modern Managed IT in Aug 2020

Indirect investments include: 
• Strike (https://strike.me/)
• Unchained Capital (https://unchained.com/)
• Swan Bitcoin (https://www.swanbitcoin.com/)
• Giga Energy (https://www.gigaenergy.com/)
• Battery (https://www.batteryfinance.io/)

Partner & Co-Founder

Jungle Disk

Leading strategy and finance for an amazing team to provide data protection, data backup, and data security services to small businesses everywhere.

Jungle Disk, LLC is the first portfolio company of Porthcawl Holdings.

https://www.jungledisk.com/

Chief Strategy and Financial Officer

Bridgewater Associates

Manager, Portfolio Analytics (Alpha) / Manager, Portfolio Compliance & Reporting

Senior Management Associate

Rackspace Hosting

GM, Jungle Disk

Cloudera

Product Management & Business Development

Bridges Ventures

Sourced, executed and managed portfolio investments for a £115 million venture capital / private equity firm funded by Apax Partners, 3i and Doughty Hanson.

Board observer for:
Insurance Dialogue Limited
Smart Storage Ltd
New Career Skills
The Office Group

Investment Associate

Goldman Sachs

Advised and structured creative solutions for UK and Pan-European corporate clients seeking to manage foreign exchange, interest rate and equity exposures.

Associate, Corporate Derivatives (Investment Banking / FICC)

Helping Ivy League-educated, overachievers find meaning and clarity in their career | Speaker, Clarity Coach, Entrepreneur

Huw Edwards

How many "yes"es have you said this week? 

Even today?

All willing yeses?

No?

Don't get addicted to being needed or being available.

There's really no flex there.

There's actually pride in being unavailable.

It honors your boundaries.

It makes you the most intentional.

It gives you the white space to think, zoom out, and make moves that fulfill you.

A great way to sustain excellence.

3x Founder, Harvard MBA, ex-Bridgewater Associates, Goldman Sachs | Executive Coach | Helping ambitious founders/CEOs unleash their potential and purpose

No alternative text description for this image

It's Thanksgiving day here in the US.

Most people use today to list what they’re grateful for.

But if we’re honest, the things we’re most grateful for are the things that forced us to grow.

The setbacks that sharpened us.

The pressure that exposed us.

The moments we thought would break us, but didn’t.

We're not just thankful for the wins.

We are thankful for the stretch that reveals the better versions of ourselves.

So here’s to the challenges that made you better.

The people who held you to a higher standard.

And the version of you that refused to quit when shit hits the fan.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Your work priorities need your attention. 

But your body needs movement too. 

You need mental fuel to sustain your drive.

Doing something physical will provide your mind with that fuel.

You don't even need to be a fitness freak.

A few minutes' run, a few reps of weight lifting, or a walk is just fine.

Anything that engages your body engages your mind.

An engaged mind never runs out of momentum.

JSESSIONID

LinkedIn

li_at

Talks about #values, #vision, #purpose, #coregift, and #entrepreneurship

The growth mindset teaches us to:

- Keep pushing our limits
- Push through the fatigue
- Rest is a reward at the end

A better approach:

- Make recovery a part of your schedule
- Let your nervous system actually relax
- Use short breaks to reset your mind midday
- Sleep early if you can, and let your subconscious do the processing

Your body needs a breather

Give it space to process, recover, and adapt.

Growth happens in recovery.

Here’s how I think about growth:

- Big picture: If you’re always the best in the room, you’re in the wrong one.

- Plan: Get around people who challenge the way you think.

- Actions: Ask better questions, study their mindset, not just what they do.

- Execution: Ignore sabotage thoughts, show up, learn fast, and apply immediately.

The goal is to become the best versions of ourselves.

Plan on always being in rooms that force you to level up.

I spent years chasing happiness.

Until I realized you don’t chase happiness.

You create the conditions to attract it.

It’ll easily find you doing things that fulfill you.

But if you chase it, it’ll leave you longing, hoping, and frustrated.

In today’s issue, I talked about the idea of the happiness we want vs the happiness we get.

I shared ways to help elite performers naturally attract a happier version of themselves.

Read the newsletter 👇

Ever notice how happiness shows up in the smallest, most random moments? Like when you catch yourself laughing at something dumb and realize, for a sp

The happiness we want vs the happiness we get…

If you only rest when you break down, you're not recovering.

You're actually just repairing. 

And it can take much longer than you expect.

Here are 3 ways to intentionally include recovery into your schedule →

3 ways to effortlessly add rest to your busy schedule

Stop: Trying to get it perfect before you act
Start: Acting a little before you’re ready and let results refine the rest

Stop: Overthinking every move to avoid criticism
Start: Trusting your ability to adapt under pressure

Stop: Saying yes to things just because you can
Start: Saying no to protect your time and energy

Stop: Telling yourself you need more time
Start: Trusting that 80% done is enough to start

Stop: Waiting to feel confident
Start: Moving even when you're unsure

As George S. Patton once said, "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week."

Trust your training and go ahead with that plan.

The highest level of success isn’t how many people agree with you, but how deeply you agree with yourself.

So let your choices honor you.

You can't please everyone...and that's a good thing.

Feeling nervous doesn't mean something is wrong. 

Most people try to avoid the nerves or try to push them away.

But you can't avoid what's part of the process.

It can be really tough to stay calm when our nerves are all over the place. 

Here are 4 ways you can control anxiety for a happier life →

4 ways to control anxiety

Imagine how greater you'll be if you engage your body as much as you engage your mind.

You're busy. I get it.

But there's value in doing something physical.

Here are simple practices to get you going →

4 practices to keep you physically active

No jokes.

Discipline and mental toughness aside, shit gets hard sometimes.

Sometimes we get exhausted just by the thoughts of things we have to do.

But practicing any of these will create the joy of privilege in all you get to do:

4 ways to create the joy of privilege in all you do

Happiness is controversial.

It’s sporadic. 

It’s not always there, no matter how successful you’ve become. 

But people think being happy all the time means everything’s working.

Nah, sad times will come too. 

It’s all part of the process of living a full life. 

Learning, unlearning, and growing.

Over the weekend, 1,337 readers learned how to attract a more enduring kind of happiness.

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

It's funny how we can be so proud and certain of our plans sometimes.

And the next moment, we’re questioning things that made perfect sense.

It’s just part of being human.

But it can get risky if we’re too fixed on the outcome of things. 

If we get too attached to the validations of success and the impostor feeling of failure.

It becomes a kryptonite for sustaining high performance.

Over the weekend, 1,337 readers learned how to manage the highs and lows of their emotions for greater wins. 

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

Sometimes, things get really hard.

Sometimes, things appear hard.

There's a difference.

The mind has a way of painting small challenges as monsters.

They look so hard even before we get to them.

Almost ripping our hearts with fear and anxiety.

Can be quite draining.

I shared simple steps to make hard things easy to walk through.

Read it here 👇

Some things are hard because they’re genuinely demanding. But most things feel hard because of the state you walk into them with. Some people don’t se

Open article: The art of making hard things easier  by Huw Edwards • 2 min read

Relax.

Live a little more.

Not every part of your day needs to be structured.

Not every part of your routine needs to be tweaked.

Let simple things stay beautifully human.

Think about the days you did something out of the blue, and you really loved it.

That's the fun of spontaneity.

Are you guilty of always trying to make the most of everything?

This newsletter is for you 👇

We have those moments when we feel the need to make the most of everything. People often exhaust themselves from pressure to maximize their routine wi

Open article: Not everything needs to be optimized  by Huw Edwards • 2 min read

People say wins should be celebrated no matter how small.

So what do you mean I shouldn’t take time to enjoy the highs of my wins?

Well, there’s a point here.

It's okay to pause and celebrate wins.

But it’s easy to get caught up in our own results.

Spending too long celebrating success, and too long overthinking failures.

And we don’t realize how much time can pass if nothing puts our emotions in check.

Because the work is still waiting.

In today’s issue, I shared ways to help snap out of the emotional rollercoaster of results.

You don’t want to miss this one.

Read it here 👇

You know that feeling of being unstoppable when you win. But when we lose, we tend to question everything. Most people stay too long in the high of vi

The emotional rollercoaster of results…

People confuse change for distraction.

You're feeling bored with what used to excite you.

You're getting a quiet pull toward something new.

But you’re telling yourself to stay focused.

What if it's not a distraction?

It could mean you've outgrown that interest you're holding onto.

And all you need to feel alive again is to find the courage to explore again.

You just need to be able to differentiate a distraction from a call to evolve.

Read more about it here 👇

Ever felt that quiet restlessness while pursuing your passion? Like it no longer light you up as it used to? You're not alone. And nothing is wrong wi

Open article: Dare to explore your interests... by Huw Edwards • 2 min read

Our mind gets batshit crazy sometimes.

With the racing thoughts of all the hard things we get to do.

But what's even harder is trying to pull off a hard task with that uneasy state of mind.

It's like you're trying to outrun your anxiety and still get the job done.

In my last issue, elite performers learned 5 simple steps to find ease in doing hard things.

A great way to train your mind to tackle situations in your best state.

Miss the issue?

Find the link in the comments ↓

Kyle Thomas

Early

We have built a proven system and community that has helped hundreds of ambitious job seekers land their dream roles at world-changing startup companies and make their career visions a reality without the anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness of the job search.

Early's job seekers have landed their next role in an average of just 3 months.

And these compensation increase numbers are for just the last 12 months...

Average % Change in Salary: 24% or $24,475

Average % Change in Equity: 994% (9x the Equity) or $100,828

Average % Change in Total Compensation: 66% or $125,303

Total Salary Increases: $420,800

Total Equity Increases: $1,218,874

Total Compensation Increases: $1,639,674!!!

And we're just getting started.

We have helped people land roles as...
Chief Operating Officer
Head of New Products
Head of Product Marketing
Head of Brokerage & Expansion
Director of Platform
Director of Operations
Director of Global Sales
Senior Project Manager
Sales Operations Manager
Marketplace Growth Manager
Program Manager
Technical Sourcer
Growth Manager
Go To Market Finance & Strategy Manager

The list goes on and on because the method works no matter your area of expertise or desired startup stage.

You don't need an upskill program or a certificate to land your next role.

You need the systems and processes that work and a well-connected startup community.

That's what we have built.

It's my mission to eliminate the anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness of the job search and to help millions of others have the same career-accelerating dream job startup experience I had as an early Uber employee... 

and maybe make some millionaires and even billionaires along the way!

These methods took me from cubicle data entry to a job as Uber employee 250 and from unemployed to startup executive.

It's everything I wish I had when I was looking for my next startup role.

I'm not special. 

I can teach you to do the same.

Come join us and make your startup dream a reality!

Founder

On Deck

A community of senior startup operations leaders sharing best practices from the trenches.

Strategy and Operations Fellow

Kyle C Thomas Consulting LLC

I leverage my past experience growing and managing the Uber and JUMP businesses to advise and consult start-up companies, primarily focused on launching and scaling two and three sided marketplaces, overall business strategy, business growth, operational best practices, and best techniques for scaling processes, teams, and organizations

Consultant / Advisor - Business Operations & Strategy

• Scaled and matured the operations organization from $2M annual run rate to over $15M in a little over a year while growing a mostly in-person team from 10 to 170+ during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Expanded service operations from one market into three (NYC, CHI, HOU) and from one product line to five.

• Managed HR, recruiting, finance, data reporting, merchandising, and procurement from Series A ($29.6M) through Series B ($45.0M).

• Assisted with fundraising efforts, including pitch decks and presentations to investors like Kleiner Perkins and Insight Partners.

• Created operational SOP’s, HR guidelines, employee onboarding, employee experience and growth programs, review process, and data reporting structure including operational KPI’s and financial metrics.

• Worked cross-functionally with teams across the business (sales, account management, growth, customer service, product, data, finance, legal, etc.) to build products and processes to address the company’s operational needs.

• Worked directly with the founding team on overall company strategy and operationalization of their vision.

• Drove the operations organization’s efforts to achieve perfect product/experience quality through monitoring and improving the “defect rate” while aggressively pursuing profitability targets.

Vice President Operations

Uber

• Led JUMP launch in New York City and oversaw all business management and operations resulting in the completion of hundreds of thousands of trips within the first year
• Managed a team of over 100 across two warehouse locations (Bronx & Staten Island)
• Fostered positive relationships with community organizations and local elected officials

Senior Operations Manager - JUMP New York City

• Led the launch of Uber Rides in New York State resulting in the fastest growing US launch in the history of the company with over 1MM trips and $300MM in bookings in the first year
• Created and implemented an analysis framework to account for seasonal changes resulting in healthier business metrics, increased growth, and hundreds of thousands of dollars saved
• Monitored key marketplace metrics (growth, P&L, competition) for New York City (the largest Uber market in the US) and executed recommendations to resolve market issues and boost growth

Senior Operations & Logistics Manager - New York City Territory Management

• Successfully passed a ridesharing bill through the Connecticut state legislature
• Managed driver growth and recognition
• Built the first remotely operated driver support network at Uber consisting of 1 permanent and 3 remote locations
• Created strong ties in the community through partnerships with the NAACP, MADD, local colleges & universities, Connecticut state legislators, and other local organizations

Operations & Logistics Manager - Connecticut

•  Launched Uber operations in New Jersey and Connecticut and oversaw all efforts until annual run rate reached $24M in Connecticut and $137M in New Jersey.
•  Created expansion and launch operations strategy and execution including rider and driver growth, rider and driver support, marketplace efficiency, and incentives.

Operations & Logistics Manager - Launcher (Connecticut & New Jersey)

• Organized first ever NYC driver insurance event providing over 700 partners with access to affordable coverage
• Managed all payments for Uber the Tri-State including weekly payments, incentives, guarantees, and payment issues
• Responsible for driver supply growth

Operations & Logistics Manager - New York City

Expeditors International

• Account manager and consultant for imports from large national and multi-national companies
• Analyzed data and processes to inform clients of product functions, industry information, and best practices
• Specializations in customs brokerage and customer relations

Customs Brokerage Representative - National Accounts

United States Senate

Office of Senator Dick Lugar and Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Kotis Design

I smiled and dialed selling t-shirts and other swag to fraternities, sororities, and college groups across the country.

College Sales Specialist

Went from cubicle data entry to Uber Employee 250 & Startup Exec | Helping you land your career-accelerating role in less than 90 days | Founder & CEO of UpEmployment Accelerator

When it comes to startup job seeking everyone wants to be an early employee at a unicorn 🦄 & earn millions 💸.

But what's the secret to landing those opportunities? 

Here's a hint...

They don't come from the "traditional job search".

When I was job seeking I had no idea what I was doing, but with experience and research, I found ways to stack the deck in your favor.

That's what led me to land a job as Uber's 250th employee. 

After Uber, it's what led me to a VP role with a $100k salary increase at a Y-Combinator startup.

That's why I built Early.

Do you have amazing experience & want to take the next step to accelerate your career in a startup, but not sure where to start?

I wished that someone had a playbook for how to do that. 

It didn't exist, so I created it.

The Early Accelerator gives highly talented job seekers a complete playbook for how to land your next dream role plus accountability & a community to guide you along the way.

The program is designed to allow you to:
- 10x your job hunt efficiency
- Know where you want to go
- Build your personal brand
- Know the salary and equity you command
- Create a system to generate connections & opportunities
- Generate 100x more warm network connections
- Leverage repeatable frameworks
- Get in a peak performance state
- Create unwavering confidence
- Get to your dream role

Despite the challenging job market, we have seen incredible results.
↳ Average job searches lasting ~3 months (90 days vs US avg of 5 months).
↳ >$200k in salary increases.
↳ >$800k in equity increases.
↳ Total compensation increases of over $1M.
↳ Advancements from Manager to Department Head.
↳ Major career jumps from VP to the C-Suite.

I formalized the proven system into an easy-to-execute framework that anyone can use to land their dream job.

My mission is to help millions live extraordinary lives by accessing opportunities that change their careers forever.

You deserve to work in a job that lights you up, pays you what you are worth, and accelerates you toward your vision of your dream future.

Let's go get you that job!

So, D.M 📩 me here or email me at kyle@BeEarly.com today so we can accelerate your startup career the right way.

Stop wasting time applying to every company where you meet the minimum qualifications and learn our proven way to land your dream job!

P.S if you would like to learn how startup job seekers can cut their job search by 50%, beat over 95% of all other candidates, and land a job at a top startup check out my newsletter in my Featured Section!

I take groups of people from A to Z in their job search so they can land their dream job without applying online.

These methods took me from cubicle data entry to a job as Uber employee 250 and from unemployed to startup executive. I'm not special, I can teach you to do the same!

Two weeks ago our sales lead told me he was leaving for a new role... and I am incredibly happy for him.

He joined Early last year when we had a massive backlog of interested leads - more than I could handle alone.

Over the last year, he absolutely crushed it.

He completely took over the application process.

He reviewed all the applicants thoroughly.

He spoke with every one of them.

He had worked in a startup before this role. 

That gave him a deep understanding of what they were going through.

It didn't matter whether they were in a job but looking for their next big break or between roles, seeking their next opportunity.

He knew them because he was one of them.

He leveraged that deep understanding to secure the help they needed and welcomed almost 100 new members into the Early Accelerator so far this year.

Those members have gone on to land roles at top startups with tremendous growth and top VC backing. 

Many received significant title bumps, massive pay increases, and the dream job they were after.

When all was said and done, he had a significant impact on their careers and ultimately their lives.

We have a great culture, great people, and a great product at Early. 

But Early is not a hyperscaling venture backed startup with $422M raised, a $2.2B valuation, hockey-stick growth, and a PitchBook IPO success probability of 97%.

But... EliseAI is all of those things.

And that's who came knocking with a sales opportunity he couldn't refuse.

The opportunity to spin up a new office in Boston and join a team and a product that is absolutely ripping.

So when he gave me the news, I was sad to see him go but incredibly happy for him and where this will take him next.

As a manager, it's not your job to hold back your team.

It's your job to support them and their growth, helping them reach the heights they envision for themselves.

I remember the days at Uber when people moving onto their next opportunity weren't looked down upon, they were celebrated.

So, in the morning meeting today, we played "Graduation" by Vitamin C and celebrated him and all he brought to Early and our members.

Congrats to him and to the team at EliseAI.

Go build something special in Boston! 🚀

I want to hear from you all...

Who's the company (or manager) that most supported you to take your next big step?

Tag them in the comments and share what they did that made the difference.

I Teach Ambitious Startup Job Seekers How To Land Career-Accelerating Roles at World-Changing Startups | “De-Risk” the Search w/ Proven Methods & Investor-Grade Data | Apply to our Startup Job Search Accelerator Below

NYC is consistently #2 in startup funding behind SF. Curious who's hiring fast? Check out this list👇

The companies below all have:
💰 Investment from a top VC
🗽 HQ or an office in New York
👫 Headcount btwn 25 and 250 employees
📈 90D headcount growth btwn 15% to >166%
✅ Current open roles on their careers page

These are 30 of the fastest-growing startups not just in NYC but worldwide.

Join them and have fun building a rapidly growing startup with some of the smartest, driven people around.

I'll shut up now and just give you the list...

 1. Polymarket - Decentralized prediction markets
 2. Tabs - AI-driven revenue automation
 3. Profound - AI search analytics
 4. Norm Ai - AI-driven compliance automation
 5. Savvy Wealth - AI-enhanced wealth management
 6. FLORA - AI content creation platform
 7. Adaptive Security - AI cybersecurity training
 8. Finch - AI legal case automation
 9. Allara - Women’s hormonal health platform
10. Taktile - Credit decision automation
11. Garden - AI patent automation
12. Basis - AI accounting automation
13. Eight Sleep - Intelligent sleep optimization
14. Hungryroot - Personalized grocery delivery
15. Reflection AI - AI code automation
16. Twill - Referral-based recruiting platform
17. Eon.io - Automated cloud backups
18. Oasis Security - Machine identity management
19. Rilla - AI sales coaching platform
20. incident.io - AI-powered incident management
21. Rain - Crypto payment card platform
22. Starbridge - Public sector sales intelligence
23. Diana Health - Tech-enabled women’s healthcare
24. Graphite - Automated code review
25. Sesame - Voice-assisted smart glasses
26. Phia - AI resale shopping assistant
27. HERE - Secure enterprise browser
28. Assured - AI healthcare credentialing automation
29. Inspiren - AI senior care monitoring
30. NetBox Labs - Open-source network management

Go get that job and build something awesome 💪

____________________________________
For more lists of who's hiring, follow me, Kyle Thomas.

We create unlimited lists like these for the startup job seekers in the Early Accelerator, tailored to the exact size, stage, industry, growth, and success metrics they're looking for.

If you want to land your next startup role in the new year, use the link in my profile to apply to our Startup Job Search Accelerator, and we can jump on a free strategy call.

♻ Share this to help startup job seekers find a new role.

#startups #startupjobs #hiring #NYC #NewYorkCity

If I lost my job tomorrow, here’s how I’d spend the first 7 days to land a new startup role. 

First step: leave your resume alone. And I know that sounds backwards. 

But this method is exactly how I landed my last two startup roles - including Uber - without ever applying. 

Here's exactly what I'd do instead:

Days 1-2: Map my network

I’d identify 10 people doing work I admire at companies I 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 want to work for. 

Not recruiters, or job posts. Actual people who are close to the problems I want to solve. 

Then I’d reach out with intent: 

“Hey [name], I love the work you and the team are doing at [company]. I see you're workingon [XYZ]. Would you be open to a 15-30 min call? I'd love to ask about [specific topic] and how you [specific topic].”

Here’s an example of what that might look like: 

𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵. 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩. 𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 15-30 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭? 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 + 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺. 𝘐 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘜𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘠, 𝘕𝘑, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘛.

You're not asking to pick their brain. You're coming to them with a specific ask to conduct targeted research.

Days 3-4: Publish something that proves how I think 

I’d then work on publishing something on LinkedIn to show where I can add value, like: 

- A teardown of a product issue
- Insights that I found in my previous role
- A GTM idea

Nothing fancy or new - things that I already live and breathe. 

Posting some updated thoughts will mean that when people check my profile, they immediately see signals that I know what I’m talking about. 

Days 5-6: Go where the operators are

I’d plan to show up at two events where people in my target roles actually spend their time.

Not to hand out resumes. To ask smart questions and get into real conversations.

Being memorable beats blending in with everyone applying through job boards.

Day 7: Make a targeted offer of value

I’d pick my top two companies and create something useful for them.

A competitor breakdown. A user journey map. A simple 30-60-90 hypothesis. A problem I think they’re underestimating.

Then I’d send it:
“I’ve been digging into X problem and put some thoughts together on how I’d approach it. Here’s the breakdown.”

This creates pull instead of hoping an application gets seen.

This approach helped me launch new markets at Uber, work with founders raising millions, and build a career without competing against hundreds of applicants.

The uncomfortable truth: your resume makes you one of many. Your work makes you the obvious one.

If you want to land a startup role in the next 90 days, follow me, Kyle Thomas, for strategies that actually work.

Microsoft and Amazon made Seattle a tech powerhouse. Now there’s a next generation of startups looking to follow in their footsteps. Here’s who’s hiring...

No Seattle startup with top VC investors has grown headcount faster over the last 90 days than these companies.

Chainguard - Trusted container security & supply chain
L90D Hires: 72
Current Openings: 46
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/eYyNyu8x

Temporal Technologies - Durable workflow execution platform
L90D Hires: 54
Current Openings: 30
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/ehCEepDv

TerraPower - Nuclear innovation company developing advanced reactors
L90D Hires: 51
Current Openings: 68
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/eRHwhWaS

XBOW - Autonomous pentesting platform
L90D Hires: 31
Current Openings: 7
Careers Page: https://xbow.com/careers

Zenoti - AI-powered unified platform for medspa management
L90D Hires: 31
Current Openings: 99
Careers Page: https://zenoti.com/careers

Helion - Building the world's first fusion power plant
L90D Hires: 26
Current Openings: 97
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/ea5bSKT7

Qumulo - Modern file data platform for edge & cloud
L90D Hires: 24
Current Openings: 31
Careers Page: https://qumulo.com/careers

BRINC Drones - AI-powered drones for public safety
L90D Hires: 21
Current Openings: 15
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/eaQejW6S

Stoke Space - Unlocking the space economy with reusable rockets
L90D Hires: 15
Current Openings: 49
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/ekGKKwmX

Supio - AI platform for law firms
L90D Hires: 15
Current Openings: 8
Careers Page: https://supio.ai/careers

Common Room - AI-driven customer intelligence for GTM teams
L90D Hires: 14
Current Openings: 5
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/e_pVwnQ3

Porch Group - Vertical software & insurance platform for homebuyers
L90D Hires: 12
Current Openings: 38
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/eZbp-tTP

Dropzone AI - Autonomous AI SOC analyst platform
L90D Hires: 11
Current Openings: 3
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/eYWnpKu9

Rippl - On-demand dementia care platform
L90D Hires: 11
Current Openings: 11
Careers Page: https://rippl.com/careers

Gradial - Agentic marketing platform using AI
L90D Hires: 10
Current Openings: 22
Careers Page: https://lnkd.in/eJqrPsEC

Orchard - AI farming company building an AI farmer
L90D Hires: 8
Current Openings: 14
Careers Page: https://orchard.ai/careers

More companies in comments 👇

I live in New Jersey now, but Washington State will always have a massive part of my heart.

Go get that job and build something awesome in the Emerald City! 💪☔

And Go Hawks!

---------------------------------

P.S. Want more lists like these? 

We share personalized target company lists with the members of the Early Accelerator so you can find the hiring companies that match your dream job description.

If you’re looking for your next startup role, apply using the link in my profile.

After facing rejection, you don’t need to “think positive.”

You need to rebuild your self-belief, one step at a time.

This is called the Belief Ladder, and it’s how you climb back from doubt to confidence without relying on fake affirmations or blind optimism.

Most people try to jump from “I can’t” straight to “I believe I can.”

But that’s not how belief actually works.

Belief is built through evidence, small, credible actions that rebuild self-trust.

Each step you take, no matter how small, becomes a rung in your ladder.

𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴:

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: “𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁.”

This is where most people start after rejection. You feel defeated. You question your ability, your direction, maybe even your worth.

That’s okay, it’s honest. Awareness is the first rung.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: “𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼.”

You begin to want change more than you want comfort. The desire to try again starts flickering, even if you’re not ready to act yet.

Shifting from "I should do this" to "I want to do this" is a major step.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: “𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻.”

You start noticing proof around you, people who’ve succeeded after setbacks. Instead of feeling envy, you start feeling curiosity.

If they did it, maybe it’s not impossible.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: “𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻.”

You take a small, believable action, apply for one role you actually want, send one message, redo one section of your portfolio.

You don’t need proof yet - you’re just gathering data.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: “𝗜’𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻.”

You start seeing signs of progress, better replies, smoother interviews, a clearer story.

Your confidence grows because your effort is producing evidence.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟲: “𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻.”

This isn’t some empty mantra. You've earned this confidence.

You’ve proven to yourself that you can follow through, adapt, and recover.

The Belief Ladder is a reminder that you can't create brute force positivity and confidence through brute force. 

Confidence is built and rebuilt through small, repeatable proof.

So if you’re in that post-rejection fog right now, don’t pressure yourself to “bounce back.”

Start with one small action you can actually believe in, and let that action rebuild the next rung.

You’ll climb faster than you think.

Tell me about a time you struggled with belief the most, and how you overcame it.

I’ll go first in the comments: a time I completely lost belief, and the one action that started rebuilding it.

Let’s normalize rebuilding confidence without the fake positivity.

📌 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 - you’ll want it when your next interview loop starts.

👋 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job-search strategies + weekly curated job lists.

✉️ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵? DM me to learn how Early can support you.

Some of you need tough love right now so here it is.

You have to 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 to 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦.

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 about the thing is 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 doing the work.

𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 about the thing 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 doing the work.

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 the thing 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 doing the work.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 the thing 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 doing the work.

𝗗𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 other things 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 doing the work.

𝗗𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞.

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦.

Sounds simple.

But I guarantee that the majority of you reading this right now are avoiding doing the work.

It's natural because the work sucks at the start.

Which is why we avoid it and also precisely why we need to do the work in the first place.

I just see so many smart people who would make much faster progress in whatever they're pursuing if they just looked in the mirror and said, "Am I actually doing the work?"

What is the work you need to be doing?

What is the thing that you've been avoiding?

What is the thing that, if done, will eliminate half of your to-do list or make all the other tasks easier or more effective?

If you're brave enough, write it in the comments below.

If you're not, no sweat, write it on a piece of paper.

Then ask yourself, am I doing the work I need to be doing to see the results I want and expect?

These 7 people landed their dream startup roles in October.

Here’s how they did it 👇

🎉 A COO who landed her dream role after reframing her confidence and leaning into her strengths.

🎉 A Head of Growth who built a genuine relationship through cold outreach, and turned it into an offer.

🎉 A RevOps Director who broke into a new industry through consistent engagement and thoughtful follow-up.

🎉 A member who went from frustration to clarity, and landed multiple interviews within a week.

🎉 Two founders who met through the community and launched a startup together.

🎉 A new Director of IT Operations who accelerated through the process with transparency and timing.

🎉 A long-time member who persevered through starts and stops, and finally landed the perfect next step.

Each one of these wins is a reminder that the right mindset and approach change everything.

But these stories aren’t about luck, they’re about showing up with clarity, courage, and consistency.

Every one of these members faced rejection, setbacks, and self-doubt, but they stayed in the game, because when you approach your job search with strategy, structure, and data, opportunity starts finding you.

There’s a clear common thread in every single win. Did you catch it?

Networking.

Not the forced, transactional kind, but the kind built on genuine curiosity, value, and consistency.

These members didn’t wait for job posts to appear. They built relationships, followed their curiosity, and started conversations before opportunities were public.

That’s what creates leverage in your search, and it’s how most people in Early land roles faster and more intentionally.

These aren’t one-off success stories. They’re proof that when you combine data, direction, and discipline, you create momentum that compounds.

If you’re in the middle of your own search, keep going.

The difference between being “stuck” and “hired” is often just one conversation away.

How these 7 people landed their dream startup role

How do you go from 4 months of silence… to a $100k salary increase, triple the equity, and a role created around you?

One member of the Early community just did exactly that, after completely changing the way they approached their job search.

Here’s what the final outcome actually looked like:
✔️ Nearly $100k increase to base
✔️ 3× the equity of the original offer
✔️ Three competing offers in the final round
✔️ A role that was 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 around them

But the offer isn’t the most interesting part.

The real story is the shift that happened after months of zero traction. Let’s break it down so you can copy the process:

𝟏. 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 = 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

When they joined Early, they were applying to 6–7 unrelated job titles because they saw themselves as a “generalist.”

It stalled their entire search.

Early’s coaching narrowed their positioning to:
“𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 & 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵, 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 & 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵.”

One clear direction.

They even had a day with five interviews across five companies, and performed in all of them - because every conversation aligned to one north star.

𝟐. 𝐀 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮

The role they accepted came from a cold recruiter outreach, not an application.

Because they rebuilt their LinkedIn into an outcomes-driven, high-signal profile:
→ Clear positioning
→ Impact-focused experience
→ High-quality content

Their digital presence created authority before they even spoke to anyone.

𝟑. 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡

Before they joined Early, they spent months:
❌ Sending hundreds of cold applications
❌ Spending weeks in silence
❌ Gaining zero traction

After joining, they stopped sending volume and started sending 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞.

Their outreach focused on insight, commercial understanding, and relevance to what the company cared about right now.

That shift took them from being 1 of 2,000 applicants, to 3 genuine conversations.

𝟒. 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤

They didn’t “get lucky” in the negotiation stage, they approached it with a plan:
→ Evaluated competing offers
→ Identified misaligned scopes
→ Pushed back multiple times (even when it felt uncomfortable)

The result:
💥 +$100k base
💥 3× equity
💥 A role shaped around their strengths

Negotiation is a hard skill to be good at because you use it so infrequently. Thankfully, a strong negotiation is a system you can learn.

They joined Early discouraged and stuck, but just 66 days later, their:
→ Positioning was clear
→ Confidence rebuilt
→ Momentum had returned
→ Inbox was full of offers

This is what happens when you stop playing the job search game on hard mode and follow a proven process.

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Apply to join the Early Accelerator at BeEarly.com

Early Wins November Deep Dive

Job searching in startups can feel brutal.

You’re doing all the right things… tailoring your CV. Writing custom cover letters. Clicking “apply” on roles that genuinely excite you.

But… nothing is landing.

What if I told you that you don’t have to work harder to land your dream role? 

You can just work smarter.

See, most startup hiring doesn’t happen on job boards.

It happens through search, networking, and LinkedIn.

But only if your profile actually shows up and shows who you are, what you do, and why it matters.

This post walks you through how to rebuild your profile from that lens.

One Early Accelerator member followed these steps and went from hearing nothing back… to getting a cold message from a Series E recruiter who said his LinkedIn profile was exactly what they’d been looking for.

It’s not about looking impressive. It’s about being discoverable. Clear. Relevant.

If you’ve been stuck in the cycle of sending out applications and hearing crickets - this might be where you start to turn that around.

♻️ Save it for later. Share it with someone else who’s deep in the search.

📩 And if you’re rewriting your profile right now and need a gut check, you know where to find me (in the DM’s).

Guide to Optimizing Your LinkedIn in 60 Mins or Less 

If you think switching roles every two years makes you look unreliable, think again.

In startups, that’s often the mark of experience.

The data tells a clear story: shorter tenures are normal in high-growth companies.

Let me be very clear. I don't advocate for job hopping just for the sake of it. 

What I mean is it’s important to understand that as a startup scales, the role you signed up for often becomes a different job entirely.

Teams evolve, roles shift, founders pivot; and the skill sets needed to take a company from 𝟬→𝟭 are rarely the same ones needed to go 𝟭→𝟭𝟬 or 𝟭𝟬→𝟭𝟬𝟬.

On a recent podcast, Molly Graham (one of tech's top scaling operators - ex-Google, Meta, & Quip) said the average executive tenure in a startup is about 18 months, and that’s not a failure, it’s the rhythm of growth.

Here’s what this means for you:

1️⃣ 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮. Early-stage roles average around 18-24 months; growth-stage around 2-3 years; corporate often 4+. Anyone familiar with startups knows this indicates a different pace, not a lack of loyalty.

2️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁. Shorter tenures often show agility, people moving as the company changes, or doubling down where they’re most effective.

3️⃣ 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. If your role’s shifting away from what you’re great at or what energizes you, moving on is the oposite of instibility. It’s purely smart career design.

I went through this myself. 

Once Uber hit 33,000 people, the role I loved (building new markets) turned into optimizing spend spreadsheets - not what I was great at, or what I loved doing.

So I joined JUMP, Uber’s startup-within-a-startup, to get back to the 1-10 stage where I thrive.

This is the cycle of startup careers.

Build, grow, pivot, repeat.

Sounds just like a startup, right? Hmm... I wonder why?



Want to understand the real patterns behind startup careers?

📌 Save this post - you’ll want it when you’re planning your next move.

👋 Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job search strategies and weekly curated job lists.

Industry Insights

78 days after joining Early, Cooper landed his dream role in a top startup.

But what he saw next, once he became a hiring manager, shocked him.

Like many in this market, Cooper had been laid off despite a stellar background leading finance for startups.

He’d spent a month searching for a new role:

💼 20 applications

🎯 4 interviews

❌ 0 offers

🧠 Confidence in his strategy: 6/10

He knew there had to be a better way.

78 days after joining the Early Accelerator, Cooper had 3 offers, and chose to join a Series B startup with over $100M raised from Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz.

But this post isn’t about how he landed that job…. It’s about what happened next.

Two months into his new role, Cooper posted an opening on his team, to which over 500 people applied, 𝘪𝘯 24 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. He had to take the post down.

A week later, he shared something in the Early community that floored all of us:

“Out of 500+ applicants, only 4 people sent me a personal message.”

Four.

That’s less than 0.8% of all applicants.

And guess what? Because that level of effort and humanity was so rare, he’s interviewing every single one of them.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?

Stop trying to optimize your job search for speed, this isn’t a numbers game.

It’s a connection game.

In the age of AI, anyone can apply to 50 jobs a day, but the people who win are the ones who slow down and show up like humans.

Efficiency is focusing on the right roles and taking every meaningful step to land them.

Humanity is showing who you are, what you do, and why you care. You won’t get that from an auto-apply service.

So yes, submit your applications, but also:

💬 Send cold outreach messages.

🤝 Leverage your existing network.

🎯 Craft value deliverables for the team.

🎨 Find creative ways to stand out.

It might feel like more effort, because it is, but the people who take those extra steps shorten their job search, build real momentum, and end up in better roles, faster.

Because in 2025 and beyond:

Humanity > Speed.

If you’re 6 months into a job search and nothing’s moving…
it’s not your skillset, it’s your mindset.

After months of rejections, ghosting, and “we’ll be in touch”, even the most qualified people will start to lose momentum.

Not because they’re doing anything wrong - but because the experience wears you down in ways you don’t always notice.

And that’s usually when five mindset traps creep in and quietly stall your progress.

There’s enough competition out there. Don’t make your mindset one of them.

Avoid these 5 traps:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁

You start questioning if you’re even qualified anymore. Each rejection chips away at your confidence, so you stop applying, convincing yourself, “it’s just not the right time.”

𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 → The longer you stay in motion, the luckier you get. Confidence comes from action, not outcomes. Reframe every rejection as feedback.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽

You scroll LinkedIn and see everyone else landing roles, assuming you’re behind. That mindset kills focus and rewrites your story as a failure.

𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 → Comparison is data, not judgment. Analyze what worked for them (better yet, reach out to them and ask what they did), take notes, and get back to your lane.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

You’re endlessly “updating your résumé,” rewriting cover letters, or researching companies, but avoiding the real, uncomfortable work: outreach, networking, value creation.

𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 → Progress feels uncomfortable. If you’re not slightly nervous and if you don't feel any internal resistance, you’re probably just tidying the edges.

𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

You rely on AI optimization and “Easy Apply,” hoping sheer volume will save you. But the more you chase the masses, the more invisible you become.

𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 → Depth wins over volume. A thoughtful message to the right person beats 100 blind submissions.

𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗡𝗼

After months of rejection, you start subconsciously pulling back, applying to safer, smaller roles just to protect your ego.

𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 → A “no” isn’t personal. It’s just proof you’re playing at your next level. Keep aiming high.

Let me be clear: I know it’s a tough job market.

Competition is fierce and the noise is loud.

But every single week inside Early, I see candidates land roles in under 90 days, not because the market changed, but because they did.

They stopped repeating the same strategies. They took accountability.

And they treated their job search like a growth process, not a waiting game.

If any of these hit home, you’re not alone, most job seekers get stuck here before things finally click.

📌 Save this post - you’ll want it when your next interview loop starts.

👋 Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job-search strategies + weekly curated job lists.

✉️ Want clarity on your job search? DM me to learn how Early can support you.

“I feel like I’m sending applications into the void.” 

…is something I hear from job seekers all the time, and there’s a reason it keeps happening.

When I speak to people on the job search, they’re usually trying to move 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 from something. 

They can list out everything they don’t want: 

 • Toxic culture
 • Micromanaging bosses
 • Companies without traction
 • Companies without robust funding
 • An employee base where they’re the smartest person in the room

And they apply in volume to applications which feel like the opposite. 

But the issue is rarely tactics. It’s because they’ve skipped the first step of the process. 

Figuring out what their ideal role looks like. 

It’s helpful to know what you’re running from, but there’s a problem with using your ‘don’t wants’ as your only source of motivation. 

The further you get away from those things, the less motivation you feel to keep going.

But the closer you get to the thing you really want, the harder you push because you’re ALMOST there.

So yes, write out all the things that you don’t want in your next role.

But crucially, take the time to put pen to paper and figure out what it is you do want.

 • Where do you want to be in 2-5 years?
 • What are the skills, experiences, network, and teachers you need in your next role to get there?
 • What is the title of the next role?
 • What is the role scope, scale, and responsibilities?
 • What are the industries you want to work in?
 • What are the problems you want to be solving?
 • What are the sizes and stages of companies that will allow you to do your best work?
 • What is it that is really exciting you out in the world today?

Here’s an exercise we walk everyone through in the Early Accelerator to get clear about what they want. 

Follow these steps to a T before sending another application, and I promise you’ll get more traction out of every future action.

📌 Save this post - you’ll want it when you’re planning your next move.

👋 Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job search strategies and weekly curated job lists.

If you’re not getting rejected, you’re not aiming high enough. You've got to stop seeing rejection as failure.

As cliché as it sounds, rejection is feedback, not failure.

But, that's only the case if you know how to learn from it.

So, gather around and let's explore how you can make the most of every “no” 👇

1️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘁

Don’t turn rejection into a story about your worth.

“They said no, I guess I suck” - this attitude is neither true, nor helpful.

The best operators ask: “Isn’t that interesting? I wonder why that happened.”

Approach it with curiosity instead of criticism.

2️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁

Pull what you can from the experience.

Take the time to evaluate your performance, and give yourself feedback on where you could’ve shown up better.

Often, we can pinpoint areas where we didn’t feel 100% confident.

Notice these things to best prepare yourself for the next one.

The goal isn’t to win every role; it’s to improve each time.

(I'm going to assume you're ambitious and want to win, so that's a given, but you can only control your inputs, not the outcome.)

3️⃣ 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸

Always ask, but expect silence.

Most companies are legally advised not to give detailed feedback.

But, you should still ask, as some will be open to sharing this with you.

If you do get a few insights, treat them as a gift and learn from them.

(P.S. Don't expect feedback after a rejection to feel good. Typically, it sucks. But that's how we grow.)

4️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁

Don’t spiral.

Sometimes a “no” has nothing to do with you.

The startup world moves fast, and you have no idea what's going on behind the scenes.

This is not you being rejected by the market.

Detach your emotions from the rejection and move on to the next.

(P.S. Salespeople are great at this. They don't crumble after a prospect says "no". They hang up the phone and dial the next number with a smile.)

5️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁

A “no” today doesn’t mean “never.”

Keep the lead warm, comment on their posts, share thoughtful replies, and stay visible.

We just saw this inside the Early community:

Amr applied for a role and got rejected.

Two weeks later, the same company reached out about a new opening, and just last week, he completed his final-round interview.

Don’t burn the connection because of a “no”.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿:

People call it "luck" when preparedness meets opportunity.

You cannot get prepared without rejection.

So rejection isn't a dead end. It's the necessary next step for you to land your next role.

The candidates who learn fastest from rejection are the ones who land great jobs the fastest.


📌 Save this post - you’ll want it during your next interview loop.

👋 Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job search strategies + weekly curated job lists.

✉️ To learn how Early helps you pick the right company, DM me.

Committing to the wrong startup can set your career back years. 

But most people only realize this 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 they join. 

The team might look exciting. The mission may be inspiring. 

But if the fundamentals aren’t there, you’ll spend your best energy trying to fix what should’ve been vetted before you joined. 

And you won’t gain the experience you need to drive forward your career. 

Here’s how to set yourself up for success - a method that’s been tried and tested with hundreds of startup candidates through the Early Accelerator: 

𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳. 

Investors make dozens of bets, and they only really need one to pay off. 

Here’s how you evaluate the role before you jump in. This 12-question framework from Initialized Capital breaks a startup into three parts: 

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁: does it solve a real problem?

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁: is there demand and room to grow?

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺: can they actually pull it off?

Your job isn’t to predict the future.

Your job is to evaluate the 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 that increase your odds of success.

I’ve broken the full 12 questions down in the carousel - with examples, context, and how to find the answers for any startup you’re evaluating.



📌 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 - you’ll want it when your next interview loop starts.

👋 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job-search strategies + weekly curated job lists.

✉️ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵? DM me to learn how Early can support you.

The Wrong Startup Can Set You Back Years

You don’t need to apply to more jobs. You need better clarity. 

Here’s how to get it. 

Most job seekers assume the secret is speed - applying faster, saying yes to more interviews, chasing every opportunity that pops up.

But speed isn’t what lands your dream role.

Inside Early, I tell people this all the time: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱.

Think of it like this:

A lot of people approach their search like a Ferrari - 0 to 100, firing out applications, trying to cover as much ground as possible as fast as possible.

It 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 productive (and sounds sexy)… but Ferraris burn the most fuel, need constant maintenance, and only look fast in short bursts.

They need to stop and refuel every 3-7 days. Just like how, if you take this approach, you burn out and need days or a week to recover while losing all momentum.

But what if you approached your job search like a Prius? On the other hand.

It’s slower and definitely not as sexy. But every move is intentional. Every mile is efficient.

It gets to the exact same destination in a little bit longer time but with far less energy. 

Prius owners only need to refuel every 10-20 days (3x more efficient than the Ferrari).

And in the job search, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 - not doing more, but doing what matters.

Your goal is to approach it in a way where you're tired at the end of the day, but excited to get back after it tomorrow.

Here are four reflection prompts to help you slow down and find your compass again 👇

1️⃣ 𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆?

Have you drifted into chasing what’s available instead of what’s aligned?

2️⃣ 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?

You can only sustain momentum if the work fuels you.

3️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗜’𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲?

Growth comes from tension. Comfort can be a major constraint.

4️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 “𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀” 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

Not five years ago. Not for someone else. For 𝘠𝘖𝘜... TODAY.

If you take ten quiet minutes to reflect on these, you’ll notice your energy start to shift, because clarity creates direction.

𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺? 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘔 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘔 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵! 



📌 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 - you’ll want it when your next interview loop starts.

👋 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job-search strategies + weekly curated job lists.

✉️ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵? DM me to learn how Early can support you.

Last month, 5 YouTube videos dropped that could be exactly what you need to land your next startup role.

If you’ve been stuck scrolling job boards, stop repeating the same mistakes - start learning from recruiters, founders, and investors instead.

These conversations reveal how startup hiring *really* works, straight from the people doing it every day.

Here’s what I learned from each: 

1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁

Startups don’t hire the most experienced. They hire the most ready.

Show you can:

🟠 Build from zero, not just maintain what exists

🟠 Fix what’s broken without being told

🟠 Communicate clearly and personally - no “Easy Apply,” no fluff

🟠 Stay authentic (AI can’t fake curiosity or grit)

Prove you 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 the playbook, don’t just follow it.

2. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻-𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗼r 

Startups don’t care if your résumé is perfect. They care if you can build, learn, and show up.

Want to stand out?

🟠 Contribute publicly - your projects are your portfolio

🟠 Share what you’re learning and why

🟠 Join communities before applying

In startups and open source, your work speaks louder than your résumé.

3. 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀

Molly Graham has seen the inside of the fastest-growing companies on the planet. Her advice:

🟠 The “driving off a cliff” feeling is normal - not failure

🟠 Early-stage work feels lonely; be ready for launches where nobody cares

🟠 Watch for exec dysfunction - it poisons everything beneath it

Startups are hard and emotional, but knowing that makes you stronger.

4. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 $𝟲𝟰𝟬𝗠 𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝟱 

At 12, Michael Chime’s school was locked down when a school nearby experienced a shooting where 3 students were tragically killed. Today, he runs Prepared - an AI tool saving lives in 49 states.

His lessons:

🟠 Your role changes monthly - from doing the work to leading it

🟠 Get comfortable being uncomfortable - every day is new

🟠 Big change starts small - give value first

The hard way is often the only way worth taking.

5. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗪𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 

After mentoring thousands of founders, the Startup Ignition team shared what really kills startups:

🟠 Join problem-first, customer-validated teams

🟠 Look for clean decision-making and healthy investors

🟠 Avoid “white knight” roles - founders should already have momentum

Every operator pays tuition. The smart ones pay less.

If you’re serious about joining a startup, stop guessing what hiring managers want - learn from the people building them.

📌 Save this post for your weekend watchlist 

✅ Follow me Kyle Thomas for more startup job insights and behind-the-scenes playbooks.

Land your dream startup role with these 5 videos

Did you know, most of Uber’s early hires didn’t have any startup experience?

A while back I pulled a list of the 249 people who joined Uber before me.

They came from corporate, consulting, finance, but what mattered in their application wasn’t where they worked.

It was how they told their story.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲.

You need to know how to show founders that you can create clarity in chaos (and that you want to work hard).

Here’s how to turn your corporate past into startup potential 👇

1️⃣ Reframe your story for impact, swapping responsibilities for results. 

Founders don’t want to know what you managed, they want to know what you impacted.

2️⃣ Show your entrepreneurial traits, moments you took initiative, solved problems, or pushed through a new idea. 

These examples are proof you’ll thrive without a playbook.

3️⃣ Bridge the gap, connect your structured experience to their speed. 

You’re not too corporate, you’re the person who brings systems to the startup disorder.

Each of these small shifts changes how a founder or hiring manager sees you, from “corporate background” to startup-ready hire.

For those who’ve already made the jump, what’s one skill you didn’t expect to translate so well into startup life? 

Drop it in the comments.


📌 Save this post - you’ll want it when you’re planning your next move.

👋 Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for practical startup job search strategies and weekly curated job lists.

How To Translate Corporate Skills for Startup Newbies

If you want your work to make real impact on the environment - these 23 climate-tech startups are scaling fast and hiring right now.

All of the startups below have:
• Hired the most new employees in the last 90 days
• At least one top VC investor
• Are actively hiring today

Across these companies, there are 𝟴𝟲𝟮 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝟭𝟳 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀* 
• Engineering 409
• Operations 147
• Sales 52
• Product 27
• Finance 28
• Manufacturing 53
• Customer Success 22
• Supply Chain 38
• IT 18
• Marketing 17
• Hardware 20
• Legal 7
• People/HR 6
• Data/AI 6
• Design 5
• Security 3
• Support 1

📁 I also included a report I created using NotebookLM using the data I pulled and attached it below.

Crusoe 🦄 — Low‑carbon digital infrastructure (Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, Remote)

Base Power Company 🦄 — Energy grid optimization (Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco)

Commonwealth Fusion Systems — Compact fusion power plants (Devens, Milpitas, Somerville)

Harbinger — Electric medium‑duty vehicles (Gardena, Los Angeles, Remote)

Upway — Refurbished e‑bike marketplace (Paris, Berlin, Remote)
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Seneca — Autonomous electric seaplanes (Sausalito)

The Modern Milkman — Eco‑friendly grocery delivery (Loughborough, Manchester, London)

X-energy — Advanced modular nuclear reactors (Rockville, Oak Ridge, Lexington Park, Remote)

Emerald AI — AI‑powered climate risk intelligence (Washington D.C., Boston, San Francisco, Remote)

Redwood Materials 🦄 — Battery recycling and materials (San Francisco, Carson City, McCarran)

Torus — Grid‑scale energy storage solutions (South Salt Lake)

Runware — Grid analytics platform (Remote)

Terra One — Renewable energy asset developer (Berlin, Remote)

Daylight — Solar financing & design software (New York City)

Uplight — Utility customer engagement platform (Remote)

Phaidra — Industrial AI optimization (Remote)

Nitricity — Zero‑carbon nitrogen fertilizer (San Francisco, Delhi)

Gridware — Wildfire detection sensors (San Francisco)

PassiveLogic — Autonomous building control (Salt Lake City, Netherlands)

Ridepanda — E‑bike subscription marketplace (New York City, Remote)

Palmetto — Clean energy home platform (Charlotte, Remote)

Exowatt — Thermal battery energy storage (Miami)

TrueMeter — AI energy savings platform (San Francisco)

Go get that job and build something awesome 💪
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For more lists, follow me, Kyle Thomas.

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Huw Edwards's LinkedIn Performance

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