Adrian Fagerlund Built an Ad Network During COVID (Then Signed 10,000 Brands)

Today we chat with Adrian Fagerlund. Founder and CEO of Linkby.---💼 Join 47,000+ following on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfoconnor/🐦 Join 40,000+ following on Twitter: https://x.com/BrianFOConnor00:00 Meet Adrian Fagerlund00:15 Launching a marketplace during COVID00:57 The chicken-or-egg problem, getting the first brands and publishers2:31 "We had to hire 15 people at once"4:51 How he decided which roles to hire for6:49 Going 100mph but slowing down for hiring8:35 "The structure hasn't really changed," what he got right early9:09 Why he doesn't use recruiters or AI to hire12:16 The 4-step hiring process: vibe check, sample, puzzle piece fit14:55 "Blinded by glossy packaging," the hire that burned him15:37 The cultural difference that changes interviews in America19:53 How to vibe check when you can't describe your culture22:52 "Lifers," the employees who followed him across companies24:37 "You can't teach hunger," the ESOP and commission structure26:33 How to tell if someone is moldable and hungry in an interview28:06 The type of questions that reveal real candidates29:23 Can you spot moldability before the 30/60/90?30:59 Day-in-the-life testing and giving feedback live32:20 The onboarding process that keeps people around35:23 Training library: what's async vs. live37:59 How to decide what to train at $1M to $5M39:00 Training by need: new products, new skills, new focus40:48 How to make sure 100+ people actually adopt a new skill44:57 How to know if people understand AND do what you trained47:43 AI Visibility: helping brands rank inside ChatGPT50:02 What is reverse pitching?50:29 Use case: how an ecomm brand uses Linkby54:48 The publisher side: how writers make money with Linkby58:10 Where to find Adrian + Linkby