Marcos Ruiz

The Birdhouse

We build profitable, viral personal brands on X, LinkedIn, and Threads.

Founder and CEO

MA Army National Guard

Served at the 59th Presidential Inauguration.

Advanced and accelerated training in Computer Networks & Systems. Tasked with the configuration, management, and troubleshooting of Local Area Networks, while simultaneously adhering to proper security measures as defined by the Army.

Responsibilities include:
• Configuring & troubleshooting Cisco Routers and Switches
• VLANs, SVIs, Layer 2 and 3 security, etc.
• Producing end-user capability via PC, laptop, and Cisco VOIP
• Encryption Devices & Palo Alto Networks
• Active Directory and Exchange
• Use of Basic Network Protocols (i.e. TCP/IP, DHCP & DNS)
• Routing Protocols (OSPFv3, OSPF)

I.T Specialist - Team Leader

At The Birdhouse, we craft viral & brand-building content for CEOs, founders, influencers, and education companies, helping grow both brand AND sales.

We focus on crafting narratives that align with each client’s brand and business goals, specializing in monetizing X (Twitter) & LinkedIn accounts.

We've helped clients generate over 500,000 followers, $5 Million in info-product sales, and over 3,000 booked calls.

Scaling the business to $65,000 per month within the first year required relentless outreach, sending 100 to 200 direct messages daily, leveraging social proof, and delivering consistent results.

Our goal is to help catalyze the growth of the best education companies that the internet has to offer.

----

Coaches, Course-Creators, Educators - We’ll Build You a Profitable, Viral Personal Brand on 𝕏 and LinkedIn.

Partner with us to implement our proven content system, sales process , and branding strategy to scale your education company while building a long-lasting, loyal audience.

Alternatively you can subscribe to The Birdhouse Daily Newsletter at - www.thebirdhouse.email

Or check out our full DIY self-paced course suite at - www.whop.com/twitter

Chief Executive Officer

X.COM’s Premier Marketing & Advertising agency.

We partner with education companies to help them scale on 𝕏.

Mark Zuckerberg pulled off the greatest personal brand transformation in history.

Here's the RACE framework that turned him from "robotic nerd" to one of Silicon Valley’s coolest CEOs:


1. Reach - Redefine Your Audience

After Cambridge Analytica harvested 87 million profiles, Zuck was tech's biggest villain.

His solution? 

Stop trying to appeal to everyone.

He emailed Peter Thiel with a mission:

Rebrand me as the "voice of millennials."

Smart move - you can't be everyone's hero, but you can dominate one demographic.


2. Act - Make Real Changes

The Facebook to Meta rebrand distanced them from scandals & signaled focus on the future.

The biggest part of his transformation was arguably visual though:

• Got jacked, improved style & grew out his hair
• Cattle ranching and sharing his genuine interests
• Training MMA with UFC stars like Israel Adesanya 

That hydrofoiling-in-a-tuxedo video wasn't just random fun - it was strategic PR move.


3. Convert - Turn Critics Into Believers

Delivered on promises through:

• Better privacy controls 
• Innovative products (Quest 3 Pro) 
• Unscripted, heartfelt Senate apology to families 
• Sharing vulnerable moments like commissioning art for his wife

Actions speak louder than words.


4. Engage - Keep People Talking

Leaned into internet culture instead of fighting it: 

• Embracing memes about his "drip" 
• Recreating childhood bedroom for birthday posts 
• Asking Instagram's fashion director to critique his chains

He joined the conversation instead of staying above it.


The results: 27% trust → 68% trust in 6 years.

The impact on his business:

• Rebuilt trust after scandals
• Made Meta's vision more believable
• Positioned as innovator, not data harvester


Key lesson:

Personal branding is evolution, not perfection.

What's one way you're evolving your personal brand this year?

Let me know below.

& if you enjoyed this…

Follow me for more content like this.

CEO at The Birdhouse - We build viral, profitable Personal Brands on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Threads.

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I moved to Bali 2+ years ago thinking I'd cracked the digital nomad code.

My business was doing $20-30K/month from a 600 sq ft Brooklyn apartment. 

Got tired of the gray NYC lifestyle.

Same routine, expensive everything, depressed people in suits smoking cigarettes on Wall Street.

So we moved to a 3BR villa in Canggu for the geoarbitrage dream.

Here's what actually happened:


Phase 1: Reality Check

Time zones destroyed my schedule. 

Taking US business calls at 5 AM and 9 PM in Bali just to keep things running. 

Had to work during the day too, so it became this endless grind.

Bugs everywhere - spiders, crickets, ants in the bed. 

Had to get these wall plugins that probably give you cancer just to sleep.

Learning to drive a scooter was a nightmare. 

Rented an electric one thinking I was being smart - thing was so flimsy we couldn't get anywhere with two people.

The pollution is insane. 

Coming home every day wiping black soot off our faces from all the exhaust. 

Nobody tells you about that part.

Had 3 helmets stolen in the first week.

Both got Bali belly immediately - sick for days from the water and food.


Phase 2: The Honeymoon

Eventually figured it out. 

• Got the schedule dialed
• Started ordering all our meals
• Hit the beaches
• Learned to surf
• Massages twice a week.

This is when you post all the Instagram content. 

Making gains in the gym, hanging with monkeys, drinking coconuts. 

Living the dream.


Phase 3: The Dark Side

Then isolation hits.

No matter how beautiful it is, you never truly feel like you belong. 

It's an amazing vacation spot, but it's not home.

My assistant from Ukraine said something that stuck with me: 

She was living in Italy, everything was great, but "even with all the tough times back home, there's still no place like home."

That's when it clicked.

Always felt like something was missing - friends, family, the environment you grew up with. 

There's always that piece that's not there.


What I Learned:

1) The locals here are happier with way less than what we think we need. 

Really changed my perspective on what success actually looks like.

2) The food in America is actually poisonous. 

Never felt cleaner or more energetic than eating there.

3) Slowing down was incredible after the NYC hustle mentality.


The Verdict:

Would I recommend it? 

100%.

Life is a video game and Earth is just a big open world with endless possibilities. 

You should explore it.

But I went back to America.

Turns out the laptop lifestyle works best when you have a stable place to put the laptop down.

Actual freedom isn't working from anywhere - it's building something solid enough that you can choose where you want to be.

What are your thoughts on being a digital nomad?

Let me know below.

David Goggins built one of the strongest personal brands on the internet without following a single "branding" rule.

He went from a 300-pound exterminator to 6.2M followers by doing everything backwards…

Here's the blueprint he followed:


1. Stop Trying to Look Perfect

Goggins posts:

• Sweaty selfies
• Profanity-filled rants
• Stories about getting his ass kicked as a kid

Most people try to hide their messy past.

He made his the foundation of his brand.

People trust authentic struggle over polished success stories.


2. Your Pain is Your Product

"Can't Hurt Me" sold 5M+ copies because everyone has a story of not being enough.

• Survived Hell Week three times
• Lost 100 pounds in 3 months
• Set a pull-up world record.

But here's the key - he connected every story to a principle people could use.

His struggles became other people's solutions.


3. Admit Your Weaknesses First

Goggins calls his younger self "fat, lazy, and a liar" before anyone else can.

This is great for personal branding.

When you own your flaws, nobody can use them against you.

Plus it makes everything else you say more believable.


4. Impact First, Money Second

With 8.4M followers, he could easily make $60K+ per sponsored post.

Instead, he focuses on changing lives.

This builds way more loyalty than chasing every dollar.

Long-term brand value beats short-term cash grabs.


5. Actually Live What You Preach

He still runs 7 miles daily while still working.

Doesn't just talk about toughness from his couch.

This is what separates real personal brands from fake ones.


The takeaway for business:

Your struggles aren't something to hide - they're your competitive advantage.

People don't buy from perfect experts.

They buy from people who've been in their shoes and found a way out.

The ones who share their real journey - failures included - always outperform the ones trying to look flawless.

Your authentic story is your best marketing asset.


What's the biggest struggle you've turned into your strength?

Let me know below.

& if you enjoyed this…

Follow me for more content like this.

Most people think building a personal brand is free.

It's not.

The people making real money are investing time and money into three things that actually matter.


1. Quality Content Creation

You have two options.

Option A: Learn to do it yourself:

• Study frameworks
• Write every day
• Figure out what hooks work

Invest 10-15 hours a week until you can consistently create content that converts.

Option B: Hire someone who actually knows what they're doing. 

Not a $500/month VA or a cheap copywriter who copy-pastes ChatGPT generated content.

A real team that lives and breathes content, and understands how content drives revenue.

The investment is either your time or your money.

Pick one.


2. Living a Life Worth Posting About

If you're sitting at home doing nothing, you have nothing to talk about.

Your personal brand needs personal stories.

That means investing in experiences.

• Grow your business
• Get client results
• Go to masterminds
• Take your team somewhere.
• Try new hobbies

These experiences give you ammo to create more content with unique angles.

You don’t need to fake having a perfect life…

You just need to actually live an interesting one.

More experiences = more authentic stories = more followers who actually connect with what you're saying.


3. Building Your Own IP

This is the one nobody talks about.

Invest time into developing

Your own frameworks
Your own terminology
Your own systems

That's your own intellectual property.

And that's what makes you different from everyone else saying the same stuff all the time.

Your branding matters too.

Figure out what you're known for.

Build content pillars that make sense for your business.

This takes time.

But once you have it, it becomes your competitive advantage.

People can copy your content. 

They can't copy your frameworks and your voice.

Your personal brand is either a business or a hobby.

If it's a business, treat it like one.

I turned down 30 clients last month.

People think I'm crazy. 

"That's like $200K you could've made."

But here's what happened instead: 


We signed 2 perfect-fit clients at higher rates, got 3 referrals, and our retention jumped to 100%.

Most agency owners fail because they're counting clients instead of building a brand that attracts the right ones.

The Birdhouse will do about $2M this year doing the OPPOSITE of conventional wisdom.

Here's what actually matters:


1. Take care of your team like they're partners

Every quarter, I sit down with each person and ask: 

"What are your goals? Are we helping you hit them?"

When your team is growing personally and financially, they'll run through walls for clients.


2. Invest in networking without calculating ROI

I spent $30K flying to events my first year. 

No immediate return. 

Just to have conversations and build relationships.

A year later, those "random" conversations turned into $200K in referrals.


3. Build a brand people want to be part of

We have

Custom jackets
Bird-themed Slack emojis
Vintage cartoon aesthetics
Pokemon cards at my desk (bird-types only)

Sounds extra? Maybe. 

But the brand isn't just marketing. 

It's retention, recruitment, and referrals wrapped into one.


4. Be "the guy" in your niche

We're not the best marketers in the world. 

But we are THE BEST at what we do for Twitter, LinkedIn, and Threads.

When someone asks "Who should I talk to about growing on X?" they mention The Birdhouse. 

That positioning is worth more than any ad spend.

But here's the most counterintuitive part:


5. I refer out more people than I sign. 

Dozens of leads every month, but we only take 1-2 clients.

Why? 

Because I'd rather have 10 perfect clients getting incredible results than 50 mediocre ones churning every quarter.

When someone isn't a fit, I send them to another agency I trust. 

That person becomes a fan. The agency sends business back. My reputation stays intact.

One more thing: 

Do the unscalable stuff as long as you can.

I still do every client onboarding call. 

I still build their profile setup. 

I still send resources that aren't part of our service.

We're at $2M/year. 

I could delegate it.

But clients pay a premium because I'm in the trenches with them.

If you're under $10M, white glove service isn't a luxury.

It's your competitive advantage.


The bottom line:

Your agency isn't a numbers game. 

It's a reputation game.

• Turn down the wrong clients.
• Invest in your team.
• Build a brand people want to be associated with. 
• Be the obvious choice in your category.
 
The money follows when you stop chasing it.

I Studied 1,000 Twitter/X Hooks, Here’s How to ACTUALLY Go Viral

Your personal brand is the ultimate status symbol.

Status used to be more simple.

The car you drove.
The watch you wore.
The address on your business card.

But things have changed:

Anyone can rent a Lambo for the weekend.
Anyone can buy fake designer. 
Anyone can lease office space and take lobby photos.

Material wealth isn't the signal it used to be because it's too easy to fake.

This is why a personal brand is the ultimate status symbol.

You can fake a watch.
You can't fake 2 million followers who engage with your content. 

You can rent a Ferrari. 
You can't rent authority in your space.

When someone Googles you and sees you've built something real, generated actual results, and have people who care what you say - that's status you can't buy.

We've generated $10M+ for clients through personal branding. 

The ones who win understand this: 

This should not just be a side project.

It’s one of the most valuable assets you can build.

A strong personal brand gets you in rooms you couldn't access before. 

Makes people want to work with you before you pitch. 

Turns cold prospects into warm leads because they've been watching you for months.

Status used to come from what you could afford.

Now it comes from who pays attention when you speak.

Your personal brand compounds. 

Every piece of content. 
Every client result. 
Every framework. 

Builds on itself.

80% of our business is referrals now. 

Not because we're great at sales. 

Because our brand precedes us. 

People know what we do and the results we get before they book a call.

Your personal brand is your reputation at scale.

You can lose your money. 
You can lose your business. 
You can lose material possessions.

But you can't lose your reputation if it's built on real value and real results.

The smartest operators I know invest more in their personal brands than their cars or office spaces.

Because in 2025, your personal brand isn't just a status symbol.

It's the ultimate form of leverage.

Money opens doors. A personal brand builds the entire building.

Unapologetically invest in your brand.

It's one of the highest ROI decisions you can make.

What we've done at The Birdhouse:


• Custom hats for every team member when they join. 
• Custom jackets with patches for the founding team. 
• Birdhouse screen savers. 
• Vintage cartoon aesthetic across our website and newsletter. 
• Custom credit card with Blue Eyes White Dragon. 
• Birdhouse Arsenal jersey my team got me. 
• Pokemon cards - all bird-type Pokemon.
• Bird Slack emojis that our clients have come to love. 

I live the brand and always try to think of ways to market it.

And you need to build something people want to be part of.

This will help you:


1. Attract talent:

People see a culture worth being part of, not just another remote gig. 

When candidates look at The Birdhouse, they think "this is something I want to build with someone." 

The brand attracts people who work for the vision, not just a paycheck. 

That's how you build a team that actually cares.


2. Retain clients: 

A strong brand makes clients feel like they're part of something bigger than just a service based relationship. 

They're not working with just another freelancer.

They're working with The Birdhouse. 

That shift builds trust, increases retention, and makes them proud to refer others.


3. Acquire clients: 

The brand eventually surpasses you as the founder

Every way you invest into it compounds

Eventually, the brand does more marketing than you ever could as an individual


4. Build authority: 

A strong brand makes you look established even when you're small. 


5. Hire better: 

A strong brand makes you look established even when you're small. 

We're only a team of 10 people, but our brand makes us look like we could be a team of 30+. 

Prospects see the cohesive identity and think "this is a real company.”

That perception unlocks bigger clients and higher prices.


Bottom line:

Building your agency brand compounds.

Even if you don’t notice it immediately.

Everything reinforces who you are.

People want to buy from people and brands they believe in.

Invest in yours.


What are some ways you reinvest into your own brand?

Let me know below.

Gary Vaynerchuk is one of the most recognizable entrepreneurs alive.

• $200M+ agency
• Bestselling author
• 2M+ YouTube subscribers

But most people have no idea how he actually built his personal brand.

So here's exactly how he did it:


Most entrepreneurs try to be perfect online.

Gary did the opposite.

He built his personal brand on raw authenticity and relentless hustle.

Here's his playbook:


1. Early Platform Adoption

Gary started:

• Email marketing in 1997.
• Google AdWords in 2000.
• YouTube in 2006.
• Twitter in 2007.

His Wine Library TV videos grew his family's liquor store from $3M to $60M in revenue.

He jumped on platforms before they became mainstream.


2. The "Reverse Pyramid" Content Model

Gary creates one piece of pillar content (vlogs, podcasts).

Then repurposes it into 30+ micro-content pieces.

One keynote turned into 30+ posts that got 35M+ views.

Maximum reach from minimum effort.


3. Unfiltered Authenticity

Gary's curse-heavy style and unpolished delivery built trust.

He admits "dickface" is his favorite swear word.

Documents his journey instead of curating perfection.

People connect with real, not rehearsed.



4. "Jabs and Right Hooks" Strategy

Jabs = valuable, non-salesy content (tips, insights, education).
Right hooks = sales pitches.

His AskGaryVee show has 2.78M+ subscribers.

He gives value first, sells second.


5. Platform-Specific Content

LinkedIn posts are professional.
Instagram Reels are casual and trend-driven.
TikTok content is native to the platform.

He doesn't copy-paste the same content everywhere.


6. Active Engagement

Gary responds to comments personally.

Sent a Chicago Bears jersey to a customer.

Result: $6,000 order.

He researches his audience's interests to create meaningful connections.


7. Consistent Visual Identity

Black, white, and green color scheme.

Signature logo across all platforms.

Same narrative of gratitude, hard work, and innovation.

Brand recognition at a glance.


The Gary Vee Formula:

Early adoption + authentic content + relentless engagement + value-first approach = multimillion-dollar personal brand.

He didn't wait for permission.

He didn't wait for perfection.

He just started documenting his journey and never stopped.


The lesson:

Your personal brand isn't about being the smartest person in the room.

It's about being the most authentic.

Stop trying to be perfect.

Start documenting your process.

What's one authentic moment you could share to grow your brand?

Let me know below.

I asked Leila Hormozi, “How do you build a company culture?”

Here’s what she said:

I just spent $15,000 on a team offsite in Canada.

People always ask me how to build great company culture and attract top talent.

Here's what I've learned after 4 years of building The Birdhouse:


1. Build something bigger than yourself

Your team doesn't want to work for you. 

They want to work towards something that matters.

When people feel like they're part of something meaningful, they show up differently. 

They care more. They push harder.

If your company vision is just "make money," you're going to attract people who only care about a paycheck.



2. Help people achieve their personal goals

Every quarter, I sit down with each team member and ask: 

"What are your goals? Are we helping you hit them?"

Not just business goals. 

Personal goals too.

When your team is growing personally and financially, they'll run through walls for the business.


3. Focus on making the most impact

I don't tell my team to focus on revenue. 

I tell them to focus on getting the best possible results for clients.

The revenue follows when you're obsessed with your craft

One post we write can generate more revenue than a client's entire monthly retainer. 

When the ROI is that obvious, clients refer us to their entire network.

That's how we’ve used referrals to double our yearly revenue without touching outbound for over 2 years.


The bottom line:

Great culture isn't having ping pong tables and free snacks in the office. 

It's giving people a mission worth working towards, helping them grow, and obsessing over making real impact.

Spending $15,000 on bringing my team together is an investment in the people who make everything possible.


What’s your best piece of advice for building a company culture?

Let me know below.

Watch Me Use AI to Create 100+ Viral Twitter/X Posts in 1 Hour

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!

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.

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

Last week, 𝟮𝟯𝟳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 w/ US offices closed $𝟱.𝟵𝟴𝗕 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Here are 23 of the top ones hiring 👇

Together, the 𝟮𝟯 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 closed $𝟯.𝟭𝟰 𝗕 of the $5.98B in funding last week and all have investment from top VC firms.

Use this list to…
↳ Identify interesting companies
↳ Check for open roles in your function
↳ Reach out to people on the team
↳ Land your next startup role at a growing company

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:
• Company Name
• 🦄 = Valuation > $1 B
• ⭐ = Top VC Investors
• 🏆 = > 90 % PitchBook success probability
• Round stage, round size
• Position locations

Kalshi 🦄⭐🏆
Event-based trading
Series E, $1B
NY, Remote

Eon.io 🦄⭐🏆
Cloud backup management
Series D, $300M
TLV, NY, SF, DC, TX, Remote

Black Forest Labs 🦄⭐
AI visual media
Series B, $300M
Freiburg, SF, LDN

ICEYE 🦄⭐🏆
Radar satellite imaging
Later Stage VC, $232M
ATH, Espoo, WAW, VLC, KYIV, AUH, DXB, LDN, Remote

Harvey 🦄⭐
AI legal platform
Series F, $185M
DE, LDN, MX, NY, SF, ES, SE, SYD, TOR, Remote

Angle Health ⭐
AI health insurance
Series B, $134M
NY, IN, MI, OH, Remote

Protego Bio ⭐🏆
Protein-folding therapeutics
Series B, $130M
SD

7AI ⭐
Agentic security automation
Series A, $130M
BOS, Remote

TRIANA Biomedicines ⭐🏆
Molecular glue therapeutics
Series B, $120M
BOS

Antithesis ⭐🏆
Autonomous QA software
Series A, $105M
SF, VA, LDN, Remote

Excelsior Sciences ⭐
AI-enhanced small-molecule discovery
Series A, $95M
NY

Paradigm Health ⭐
Clinical research technology
Series B, $78M
Remote

Zafran Security ⭐🏆
Cybersecurity risk assessment
Series C, $60M
TLV, NY, Remote

PermitFlow ⭐🏆
Permit application platform
Series B, $54M
NY, US, CAN, Remote

Vinci4D.ai ⭐
AI hardware design
Series A, $36M
Palo Alto

Tutor ⭐
Industrial AI cobots
Series A, $34M
BOS

Ostium ⭐
On-chain commodity markets
Series A, $24M
NY, Remote

Raindrop ⭐
AI product analytics
Seed, $15M
SF

Quanta ⭐
Automated accounting
Series A, $15M
SF

Circulate ⭐
Therapeutic plasma exchange
Seed, $12M
SEA, US (multiple)

Phind ⭐
AI search engine
Early Stage VC, $10.4M
SF, NY

Reditus Space | YC W25 ⭐
Reusable orbital spacecraft
Seed, $7.35M
ATL, LA

RMFG ⭐
SMB manufacturing robotics
Seed, $4.5M
DFW

Go get that job and build something awesome 💪 

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

____________________________________
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.

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.

The right recruiters aren’t ignoring you, they just can’t find you.

Here’s how to fix that with a simple 3-part LinkedIn personal-brand system.

If your profile isn’t getting views, messages, or interviews, it’s usually not because you’re unqualified.

It’s because your brand isn’t clearly communicating who you are and the value you bring.

Recruiters don’t scroll endlessly hoping to stumble onto potential. They search with intent using 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, and 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 they know lead to success.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀: if your profile doesn’t instantly show who you are, what you do, and how you help, you’re invisible to the people looking for someone like you.

And yes, you’ll see founders or execs with minimal profiles still winning great roles. They’re the 1% of the 1%. Assume that’s not you. Give yourself every advantage.

Not sure where to start?

Use this 3-part personal brand playbook to build a clear, credible LinkedIn presence that attracts the right roles without posting every day.

Here’s the system 👇

1️⃣ 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 + 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

This is your foundation. When someone lands on your profile, they should instantly understand what you do and what problems you solve.

Your headline should include your role, skills, and niche - the exact terms recruiters search for.

Your About section should communicate your expertise, what drives you, and what you want next.

Your goal: help recruiters decide in 10 seconds that you’re relevant.

Clarity doesn’t limit you - it amplifies you.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲: 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳

Once you’re positioned clearly, back it up.

Use your Featured section to highlight 2–3 pieces of work - a project, a post, a case study - that show how you think and what you’ve achieved.

Focus on outcomes. What changed because of your work?

You don’t need to post daily. You just need what’s already on your profile to do the heavy lifting.

Value beats volume every time.

3️⃣ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆

Engagement turns a static profile into a living brand. It keeps you visible to your network and the people in your industry.

Comment thoughtfully on relevant posts, connect with people in your target companies, and share insights when you genuinely have something to add.

When you show up consistently, people start recognizing your name. That’s when opportunities start finding you.

Visibility builds trust. Trust builds opportunity.

The right recruiters aren’t overlooking you.

They’re just not seeing you clearly yet.

𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆.

Before you apply to 100 more jobs, spend an hour optimizing your profile.

It’s the most leveraged hour you’ll spend this week.

These 18 startups raised $1.65 B last week and are HIRING for 305 open roles 👇

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:
• Company name 
• 🦄 = valuation > $1 B
• ⭐ = Top VC Investors 
• 🏆 =  > 90 % PitchBook success probability
• Most recent round stage, round size
•  Position locations 
• Number of openings & functions

fal 🦄⭐🏆
Generative media platform
Series D, $140.5 M
SF, Remote
21 Openings
• Engineering (12)
• Product & Design (3)
• Research & AI (2)
• Marketing & Community (4)

Boom Supersonic 🦄⭐🏆
Supersonic passenger flight
Series B, $300 M
DEN
24 Openings
• Engineering & Manufacturing (16)
• Supply Chain & Operations (4)
• Business & Finance (2)
• People & HR (2)

Harness 🦄⭐🏆
Software delivery platform
Series E, $200 M
14 Locations,  Remote
101 Openings
• Engineering & DevOps (35)
• Sales & Revenue (25)
• Product (10)
• Operations & Support (15)
• Marketing & Design (5)
• Customer Success (5)
• Legal, HR & Other (6)

Outset ⭐🏆
AI research platform
Series B, $30 M
SF
4 Openings
• Engineering (2)
• Sales (1)
• Design (1)

Serval 🦄⭐🏆
AI employee support
Series B, $75 M
SF
10 Openings
• Engineering (5)
• Sales & GTM (2)
• Recruiting & Talent (3)

Solve Intelligence ⭐🏆
AI patent platform
Series B, $40 M
LON, NY
10 Openings
• Engineering (6)
• Legal (2)
• Sales & RevOps (2)

Percepto ⭐🏆
Autonomous inspection drones
SAFE, N/A
AUS, Remote
1 Opening
• Operations (1)

Oboe ⭐
AI learning platform
Series A, $16 M
NY, Remote
1 Opening
• Design (1)

Pryzm ⭐
AI procurement platform
Seed, $12.2 M
BOS, DC
9 Openings
• Engineering (3)
• Growth & Commercial (2)
• Mission Operations (2)
• Marketing (1)
• Research (1)

Medra ⭐
Autonomous lab robotics
Series A, $52 M
SF
15 Openings
• Engineering (9)
• Science & Research (3)
• Operations (2)
• Design (1)

Flair Labs ⭐
AI audio platform
Seed, $4 M
SF, SC, PA, Remote
3 Openings
• Marketing (1)
• Engineering (1)
• AI Research (1)

Double ⭐
Bookkeeping software
Series A, $6.5 M
NY, Remote
6 Openings
• Engineering (1)
• Assistant & Admin (1)
• Sales (2)
• Customer Success (1)
• Implementation (1)

Aradigm ⭐
Healthcare network platform
Series A, $20 M
Remote
4 Openings
• Growth (1)
• Partnerships (1)
• Network Development (1)
• Strategy & Operations (1)

The General Intelligence Company of New York ⭐
Agentic AI platform
Seed, $8.7 M
NY
5 Openings
• Research (1)
• ENG (2)
• Design (1)
• Platform (1)

K2 Space Corporation 🦄 ⭐
Mega satellite builder
Series C, $250 M
LA, DC, Remote
80 Openings
• Engineering & Avionics (65)
• Business & Ops(10)
• Other (5)

Sora Schools ⭐
Virtual high school
Series A2, $6.83 M
ATL, Remote
1 Opening
•  Education (1)

Zed ⭐
No‑fee credit cards
Series A, $16.5 M
Taguig, Remote
1 Opening
• ENG(1)

Unconventional AI 🦄
Analog AI hardware
Seed, $475 M
PA, Remote
9 Openings
• ENG (8)
• IT (1)

Go get that job and build something awesome 💪

♻️ Repost to help people in your network find startup jobs

➕ Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for more lists and job search tips

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?

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

Startups are like F1 teams.

And not everyone is built to race at that level.

On LinkedIn, it all sounds sexy.

💥 The glossy branding.

💥 The funding announcements.

💥 The founder selfies at off-sites.

But behind the scenes? It’s pure F1 energy.

Tiny margins.

High pressure.

And the constant feeling that you’re doing 200mph into Turn 1.

Not every team is Red Bull. Some are Williams - racing under the same rules, but with a fraction of the budget, and no room for mistakes. 

Every operator in a scaling startup knows the truth:

One day you’re on pole, the next, a competitor ships a feature, and suddenly you’re fighting from the back of the grid.

To some → the speed is terrifying.

To others → it’s the only way they want to work.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗳:
• You thrive under pressure
• You love learning faster than feels reasonable
• You’re energized by risk, not paralyzed by it
• You can make smart calls with incomplete data

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗳:
• You want predictable workweeks
• You prefer slow, well-paved career paths
• You need stable systems and zero surprise sprints
• You want big-company rewards without the chaos

Both choices are valid.

But if you choose the startup path, understand the race you’re entering:

It’s high-speed, high-stress, and high-impact.

The wins feel unreal. The losses sting.

And every week feels like qualifying, you’re constantly proving you belong on the grid.

But if the idea of building something from nothing lights you up…

If you want a career where you feel alive, not just employed…

Then startups are where you’ll thrive.

📌 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.

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

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.

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

OpenAI just made a massive change to attract talent.

But, how will that affect startup offers?

According to reports, OpenAI announced it's removing the equity vesting cliff for new employees.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡?

For decades, startups used to the same equity model:

4-year vesting w/ a 1-year cliff.

4 year vesting = your equity becomes exercisable (purchasable) over four years.

1 year cliff = none of it is "yours" until you hit 12 months.

Companies do this:
1. To de-risk a bad hire leaving early and taking equity with them.
2. To incentivize people to stay for longer.

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗜 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦?

Because they're in an all-out talent war with Meta, Google, and X.

Meta and Google have equity that is as good as cash.

OpenAI is still private, so the equity isn't liquid.

That means they need to spice up their offer.

The vesting cliff is a psychological hurdle for candidates.

Removing it lowers that fear and becomes a recruiting advantage.

When companies are throwing massive packages at top talent (See the Meta $100M signing bonus earlier this year), the structure of the offer becomes a weapon.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗣 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗦?

Here are the scenarios I’m watching 👇

1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 (𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆)  Most startups will keep 4 years / 1-year cliff.

Not because they’re “behind”…

…but because early-stage companies must protect the cap table.

No-cliff = more equity vests to people who leave early (or don’t work out), and that dilution is a real cost.

2. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 (𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆)  Instead of changing policy, startups will do it for 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴:
    
• 6-month cliff (or 3-month)
• Monthly vesting from day one for a critical role
• Or a “two grant” approach: a small grant vesting immediately + a larger retention grant w/ a cliff

Translation: if you’re in a highly competitive function (AI/ML, infra, security, senior product), expect more flexibility.

3. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 “𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳” 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 (𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲)  This shows up mostly in:

• frontier AI companies
• mega-funded late-stage startups
• companies fighting for the same tiny pool of “can’t-miss” talent

For everyone else, it’s hard to justify as a default.

4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳” 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 (𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿)  Startups can’t match OpenAI but won’t just shrug.

They’ll compete with:

• better cash comp (if they can)
• bigger % or $ equity grants (sometimes)
• sign-on bonuses
• earlier refreshers
• severance / partial acceleration protections

In summary...

I don't expect the 1-year cliff to change for most startups and most roles, but don't be surprised if you start to see shorter vesting windows, changes in cliff duration, and creative offer structures in 2026.

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.

Rushing applications in December is a 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮.

It feels like the end of the year should be the final sprint.

It's easy to convince yourself that if you send enough applications, something will land before January.

It's just as easy to convince yourself to take the whole month off because "It'll be wasted effort anyway."

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴.

So how should you spend December if you're looking for a new startup job?
It depends on where you are in the process.

𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝟭: 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗕 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛

𝘛𝘓𝘋𝘙; 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦.

1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Spend time determining what you actually want next and why: 
• Role scope/scale/responsibility 
• Company size/stage/industry 
• Title

Turn off the external noise. Connect with the true you.

Tightening your direction now will mean sharper, more confident conversations in January.

2️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Update your resume, LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn presence, and how you tell your story using your new clarity.

A well-aligned LinkedIn profile is a magnet that brings opportunities to you.

Your goal = Be unshakeably confident in how you appear to the world and how you tell your story.

If you do both of those before the end of the month, you're in great shape for 2026.

𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝟮: 𝗠𝗜𝗗-𝗝𝗢𝗕 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛

𝘛𝘓𝘋𝘙; 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘩 1.

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

1️⃣ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵.

People think December is a bad month for networking.

It's actually o͟n͟e͟ ͟o͟f͟ ͟t͟h͟e͟ ͟b͟e͟s͟t͟.

Holiday cheer is high, and people are looking to give.

A single introduction now can do more for your job search than 50 cold applications.

2️⃣ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀

Spend time on highly tailored applications.

Send networking messages to the team (5-10 people).

Create value. Stand out (video is great).

People are still hiring in December but there's diverted focus and this market is full of slop.

So you apply be human, be memorable.

And finally, regardless of your path...

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅.

Momentum is important, but so is your mental health.

Going into January, being burnt out is a bigger risk than missing a week of applications.

What do you think? Is December a waste or a time to get ahead in the job search?

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

In the past 3 years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of LinkedIn profiles and helped those people land roles in startups.

And after all those reviews, one thing is clear:

LinkedIn isn’t optional anymore.

It’s your public storefront, your first impression.

And the #1 way you get surfaced to the people who can change the trajectory of your career.

Upwards of 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to source talent, and that number is even higher in startups, where hiring leans heavily on personal networks and warm signals.

So if you’re trying to land a startup role in 2026, your profile needs to work for you, not against you.

Here’s exactly how to make yours stand out in today’s market:

1️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Skip the fluffy adjectives. Make it unmistakably clear who you are and what you do.

Use this framework: “Job Title | Skills | Who you help + your unique value prop”

Your goal is simple: make someone reading it immediately understand your value.

2️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁, 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳.

One strong, quantified achievement per role is enough, but it has to hit hard.

Not tasks. Not responsibilities.

Impact.

What did you change, fix, improve, or grow?

The fastest way to stand out is to show you’ve done work that moved the needle.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

You’d be shocked how many qualified people are invisible in searches simply because they forgot keywords or left out industry-specific skills.

List the tools, domains, and functions you actually want to be hired for.

Set your “Open to Work” preferences to match where you want to go, not where you’ve been.

4️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁.

Pin one post that backs up your positioning line, something that demonstrates your expertise, your perspective, or a recent win.

It doesn’t need to go viral.

It just needs to show you’re a credible operator who thinks deeply about their craft.

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the highest-leverage hours you can spend on your job search.

📌 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.

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)
join.com

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 💪
————————————
For more lists, follow me, Kyle Thomas.

Want personalized lists of startups for your job search? Use the link in my profile to apply to our Startup Job Search Accelerator.

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

INSIGHTS: Climate Startups w/ Top VC $'s & Most 90D Hires

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

McKinsey is reportedly considering thousands of layoffs.
That surprises a lot of people. But it shouldn't.

WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING?
There are a few factors at play here:
1. Economic slowdown in 2023
2. Overcapacity from post-pandemic over-expansion
3. Client budget cuts (including in government)
4. Efficiency gains (especially from AI)

For decades, top-tier consulting sold a very specific promise:
certainty, prestige, and a clearly defined path.

You work hard (really hard). You move up the ladder. And in return, the brand compounds on your behalf.

That model worked for a long time, especially in stable markets.

But it relied on one assumption that's quietly breaking: that demand for advisory work would always grow faster than supply and manual analyst work would be necessary to support the partners.

When markets tighten, even the most prestigious firms optimize for survival.

And with improvements in research efficiency and every firm instituting their own AI assistants, the consulting pyramid model with many analysts supporting a small group of partners above them is shifting to more of an obelisk. Fewer employees at every level.

To protect the bottom line and prepare for the future of the consulting business model, loyalty, tenure, and hard work go out the window.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
Over the last year, we've helped a growing number of consultants transition into startups.

Not because startups are safer… they aren't. And not because consulting is "broken", it isn't.

But because those people are recalibrating what they want security to actually mean.

Less reliance on a single logo. More control over where their effort compounds.

And, more influence over a single vision, mission, product, and team.

No brand, no matter how prestigious, protects you forever.

Not McKinsey. Not Big Tech. Not the firm you worked years to get into.

When conditions change, organizations optimize for the system, not the individual.

WHO LANDS ON THEIR FEET?
The people who recover fastest aren't the ones with the best-looking resumes.

They're the ones who've built leverage outside their job title:
 • Skills that transfer across environments
 • A reputation that travels with them
 • Relationships beyond their employer
 • Clarity on the value they create, independent of brand

That's the real safety net now.

THE TAKEAWAY
To be clear this isn't an argument against consulting.

For many people, it's still an exceptional training ground which is why startups love to hire out of the top firms. The mistake isn't choosing consulting over startups, or vice versa.

The mistake is assuming any single lane guarantees long-term security.

The world increasingly rewards people who think like investors in their own careers, not tenants renting stability from a logo.

If you're early in your career, this isn't something to panic about. It's something to prepare for, because optionality doesn't come from where you work.

It comes from what you can do and who knows it.

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The Battle

Marcos Ruiz

Kyle Thomas

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taplio

The Battle

Marcos Ruiz

Kyle Thomas

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

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);}Marcos Ruiz's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreMarcos Ruiz's LinkedIn Performance