WHO We Hire

Alex Torrenegra is the founder and CEO of Torre.ai, a global job network automating recruitment with real-time, super-intelligent AI. Previously, he bootstrapped Voice123 and Bunny Studio to $100M+ in revenue, holds multiple patents in job marketplace dynamics, and served as an investor on Shark Tank Colombia and Shark Tank Mexico. MIT named him an Innovator Under 35, and the World Economic Forum tapped him as a Young Global Leader. In this episode, he breaks down the 112 hiring factors his team identified, why personality tests barely predict fit, and the flat team structure he's betting his unicorn on.- Why LinkedIn was never built to solve recruiting, according to a direct conversation Alex had with former CEO Jeff Weiner- The 112 hiring factors Torre identified by studying thousands of recruiters, and why only 80 are deployed so far- Why personality traits like Big Five and HEXACO failed as predictors, and what candidates were already doing to make them redundant- The professional genome concept, where the platform learns from what you apply to and what you ignore- Why Alex plans to cap his company at roughly 20 people even at unicorn scale, all reporting directly to him- How Torre replaced traditional squads (designer, QA, tech lead, engineers) with technical product managers who each manage AI- The data-backed reason mission-driven companies pay lower salaries and still recruit better talent- Why two AIs negotiating a candidate match takes 2-3 minutes, while Torre's centralized system does it in under 100 nanoseconds00:00 From Voice123 to the global job network03:30 Why Torre isn't Latin America focused, despite the arbitrage05:45 Preventing North Korean impersonation and the reputation solution09:30 Why LinkedIn was never built for recruiting14:20 Systematically eliminating interviews with AI screening18:45 5,000 AI interviews per day and radical transparency in rankings22:00 The Nasdaq of jobs vision and why AI-to-AI matching fails26:30 The 112 factors and why personality tests barely predict fit31:00 Professional culture vs personality: what actually predicts fit34:00 The 20-person unicorn: flat structure and no board38:30 Mission-driven hiring and why impact companies attract talent cheaperAlex Torrenegra:Website: https://torre.ai/Website: https://me.torrenegra.comTwitter: @torrenegraEmail: [email protected] to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Tyler Vinson is the Co-Founder and CEO of REtokens USA Inc. and REtokens Capital LLC, a FINRA-member broker-dealer and SEC-registered Alternative Trading System building the first real estate–exclusive digital asset marketplace in the United States. He's personally closed over $100M in investment real estate transactions and driven roughly a quarter billion in tokenized real estate volume, all while holding Series 24, 7, and 63 licenses as a #1 best-selling author. In this episode, Tyler breaks down how he went from traditional real estate operator to essentially an investment banker, why he fired and rehired every one of his first licensed hires, and the exact partner-vetting questionnaire that saved him from a near-disaster co-founder deal.What You'll Learn:- Why Tyler parted ways with every one of his first licensed hires (Series 24s, compliance officers, FinOps) and what he replaced them with- The near-miss co-founder story that taught him partnerships are "like a marriage" and the questionnaire he now uses before signing anything- Why the front-end/back-end complementary split with his 30-year friend became the foundation of REtokens- The hard rule for hiring in 2026: "You can fill a seat and know AI — we're still not going to hire you"- Why REtokens is not refilling roles when people turn over, and how AI proficiency became a full tool belt in the last 6 months- How scaling in tokenization looks less like traditional hiring and more like M&A across ecosystem segments- The regulatory hiring stack you're forced to build for a FINRA/SEC-licensed company (Series 24s, CCO, FinOp, cybersecurity, SOC 2)- Why Tyler says "go with your gut" is cliché but non-negotiable and the real cost of a wrong hire beyond salaryChapters:00:00 The AI hiring shift that started in early 202601:05 From $100M in real estate to $250M tokenized02:14 Why real estate hiring profiles completely changed04:32 Do you need a technical co-founder?06:36 The near-miss partnership Tyler walked away from08:07 Partnerships are marriages the questionnaire that vets them10:29 How to actually leverage coaches (and when not to)12:19 Staying current on roles that didn't exist 3 years ago14:36 AI proficiency: fewer people, more output20:14 The regulatory hiring stack nobody prepared him for24:24 Why he fired and rehired every licensed role29:31 Scaling through M&A instead of org-chart hiring32:17 The one hiring lesson for founders in a new categoryWhere to find Tyler Vinson: Website: https://retokens.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realestateinvestment/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Douglas Braun is the CEO of eProductivity Software (ePS), a global software company serving thousands of packaging manufacturers across more than 100 countries. A five-time CEO with a 40-year career in enterprise software, Doug has led teams from Stockholm to São Paulo, promoted internal talent into executive seats, and grown the ePS India office from 60 to 170 people in 18 months. In this episode, he shares the exact frameworks he uses when inheriting a team, promoting from within, running acquisitions as mergers of equals, and deploying AI without cutting headcount.What you'll learn:- The 90-day rule Doug uses every time he inherits a company (and why "what you did yesterday is what I want you to do tomorrow" buys him time)- How to tell the difference between an executive who needs coaching versus one who has hit the ceiling- Why Doug spends 60-70% of his time on the road and three-quarters of that with employees, not customers- The 24-hour response promise he makes to all 400 employees (and why he's 98% good at it)- Why every one of his nine executives personally owns customer accounts, including the CFO and Chief Legal Officer- The "human in the loop" AI hiring philosophy and why AI is not about cutting 20% of staff- The M&A rule Doug learned from a Fortune 500 CIO: acquisitions are "slow and painful or fast and painful, pick fast"- Why he took 17 people from an acquired 28-person company and 11 from his own team (and what that signals)- The 85/15 to 70/30 tactical-to-strategic shift every founder must make at the $10M markChapters:00:00 Cold open: coaching vs. hitting the ceiling01:04 Intro and Doug's 5x CEO journey02:16 Inheriting a team and managing fear and uncertainty03:53 When a shared vision is impossible06:22 The 90-day rule for retaining top talent07:47 Promoting from within: the UK chief product officer story10:02 Doug's superpower: getting people on board11:20 The 24-hour employee response promise15:49 Leading across Sweden, France, India, and Brazil17:11 "You won't last": the 5th CEO in 10 years20:19 Sitting in cubes with the India team23:09 Hiring in the age of AI26:51 Why every executive owns customer accounts33:27 The merger-of-equals M&A hiring framework40:18 Advice for founders scaling 50 to 15046:32 Where to find DougWhere to find Douglas A Braun: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasabraunePS (eProductivity Software): https://epssw.com/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Brian Esposito is the founder of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises and CEO of Diamond Lake Minerals, a public company he grew from a $1 million market cap to nearly half a billion dollars in just three years. With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience across more than 25 industries, Brian has never worked in the corporate world or had a boss. In this episode, he reveals his framework for identifying the wrong people before they damage your business, why he has an "allergic response" to AI replacing human capital, and how he helps founders avoid losing control of their own companies on the fundraising hamster wheel.What You'll Learn:- Why watching how someone treats a waiter instantly reveals if they're an opportunist you should avoid- The "golden rule" filter Brian uses to identify people who will put your business at risk for materialistic gain- How to reclaim equity from advisors who aren't performing their duties within 30 days- Why surrounding yourself with drama-filled people drains your ability to run 25+ companies simultaneously- The mindset shift from "raising money" to "earning money" that prevents founders from losing control- Why Brian never tries to replicate himself anymore after wasting years attempting it- How negativity in your inner circle runs your energy at "ten RPMs" and destroys what you can accomplish- The specific question Brian asks to identify if someone's god is money: do they brag about materialistic things?Chapters:00:00 Episode 18 - Who We Hire: The Framework This 25-Year Entrepreneur Uses to Deploy AI Without Killing Jobs02:30 Why Watching People Thrive Is More Rewarding Than Building Companies03:54 Brian's Allergic Response to AI and Human Capital06:28 Using AI to Enhance Jobs, Not Eliminate Them08:25 Why Live Entertainment Will Explode as Human Connection Becomes Rare11:06 Journey: The Platform Fighting Back Against Spotify's Data Hoarding16:52 Finding the Right People by First Identifying the Wrong Ones19:59 The Golden Rule Test for Spotting Opportunists21:42 Why Negativity Is the Fastest Way to Drain Your Tank24:29 From Nail Polish to Space: Building an Industry-Agnostic Career29:26 Diamond Lake Minerals: $1M to $500M Market Cap in 3 Years37:37 Rewiring Founders Away from the Raise Money Hamster Wheel43:48 Being the Bad Guy Who Makes Advisors Accountable45:08 Why Brian Stopped Trying to Replicate HimselfWhere to find the guest (Brian J Esposito):LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianj.espositoSocial Media: @BrianJEspositoWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Pedro Góes is the CEO of Snapdat & Ziplit and founder of InEvent, a Y Combinator-backed (S19) event technology company that has generated over $20M in enterprise sales and serves Fortune 500 clients including Amazon, Coca-Cola, KPMG, and Santander. A 3x "Most Influential in Events" honoree and BizBash 40 Under 40, Pedro has scaled InEvent to 150 full-time staffers with 200-300 people working daily across the globe, and even produced live broadcasts from the International Space Station. In this episode, he breaks down the exact hiring ratios, internship playbook, and role shifts reshaping team composition in the age of AI.What You'll Learn:- Why every full-stack developer now requires 3 quality analysts on the InEvent team- The exact reason project manager roles are being killed and what's replacing them- How Pedro built an internship pipeline that gets 2,000 applicants in the first week- Why paying interns $25K to grow into $150K roles beats hiring senior talent cold- The counterintuitive interview tactic Pedro uses to filter out "hype" candidates- Why event industry roles are AI-resistant while radiologists and PMs are not- The 5% RSVP conversion rule for founders throwing their first in-person events- How to run a dinner strategy using your CRM heatmap instead of hiring an event managerChapters:00:00 The shifting roles in event technology01:15 Pedro Gois background and building InEvent02:00 The post-2020 boom and the shift back to in-person events03:27 Launching Snap Data to solve post-event sales follow-up05:08 Running massive scale events for the UN and US Presidents07:35 Global remote hiring and the value of human connection12:27 Reallocating dev budget: Why AI requires three QA engineers per full-stack dev13:43 Removing project managers to connect CS directly with engineering16:15 Achieving 100% pipeline coverage post-tradeshow with instant AI follow-up28:00 Interviewing for high-responsibility roles and rejecting hype29:20 Building a global remote internship program that yields company managers33:20 The founder playbook for running high-ROI customer and prospect dinnersWhere to find Pedro:Pedro Góes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrogoesInEvent: https://inevent.comSnapdat: https://snapdat.aiWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Sam Mallikarjunan is VP at Pearl, where he's building out an entirely new business unit connecting experts with people who need real help not just AI answers. He previously served as GM at Agent.ai (Dharmesh Shah's AI marketplace that hit 1.5M users), CEO and co-founder of OneScreen.ai, CRO at Flock.com where he helped quintuple revenue, and Head of Growth at HubSpot Labs where he grew monthly recurring revenue 200x and built a community of 160k+ members. He also taught Advanced Digital Marketing at Harvard and served as Faculty Chair for Digital Marketing at USF. In this episode, Sam breaks down his frameworks for org design in the AI era, why laying people off for AI will backfire within 18 months, and how "shared custody agreements" are reshaping career development inside modern teams.What you'll learn:- Why standing out in the AI job market is like "applying for a chef's job by making them a meal"- The exact HubSpot LATAM playbook validate with a generalist first, then hire the specialist- Why laying off people because of AI will hurt companies in the next 18 months- The "shared custody agreements" framework for developing careers when org design breaks down- Why hiring people you've worked with before quietly creates a culture of insiders and outsiders- How to sell mission over brand when you have zero employer name recognition- The difference between translation and localization when building international teams- Why psychological safety matters more right now than hiring "AI-native" talent- How the only recruiter to crack Sam's AI screener actually did itChapters:00:00 Trailer: Pearl VP: Why Companies Laying People Off For AI Will Regret It In 18 Months00:39 Meet Sam Mallikarjunan01:26 The HireMe HubSpot story02:43 Why every AI-powered applicant looks identical04:11 Why Sam left AI agents to join Pearl06:20 Will we have more entrepreneurs than employees?10:23 Building HubSpot's LATAM team from zero14:14 Translation vs localization when hiring globally16:36 The roles Sam refuses to give to AI19:04 Shared custody agreements: the new org design26:08 Hiring for adaptability vs deep specialization30:24 Recruiting without brand recognition36:11 How one recruiter cracked Sam's AI screener40:58 Where to find SamWhere to find the guest:Sam Mallikarjunan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallikarjunan/Sam's website: http://mallikarjunan.com/Pearl: https://www.pearl.com/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Kris Lawson is the co-founder and CEO of Ruby AI, the world's first always-on autonomous sales agent with full context, memory, and multi-agent intelligence built to give every rep an AI edge across the entire sales cycle. Over 20+ years, Kris scaled go-to-market organizations at Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft, Snowflake, and Vidyard, famously becoming the first Oracle rep ever to lose a deal to Salesforce before being recruited to help build Salesforce Canada from a 4-person Regus office to over 800 people. He later built Snowflake Canada from zero to $35M+ ARR, has personally closed over 1,800 new logos, and is co-founder of Snow Angels, a Snowflake alumni investor syndicate backing data and AI startups. In this episode, he breaks down the hiring profile that wins in the AI era, why founder magic doesn't translate to sales teams, and the "cognitive surrender" trap that's quietly reshaping how buyers evaluate every deal.What You'll Learn:- Why coachability is the single most important trait when hiring reps at scale- The exact reason 9 out of 10 sales academy hires fail when they join startups- The "PG Savage" hiring profile Kris used to build Snowflake Canada from zero- Why first-line sales managers should have 12-14 reps, not 6, in the AI era- The full-stack AE model that compresses SDR, AE, and CSM into one role- Why quotas should double while base comp stays the same (with more upside)- How to test candidates for being "AI-pilled" during the interview process- The founder mistake that quietly kills story fidelity as sales teams growChapters:00:00 Trailer: The Enterprise Sales Legend on Why LLMs Will Never Stop Hallucinating02:10 Losing to Salesforce at Oracle and getting recruited04:09 The hiring profile that built Salesforce Canada05:37 Why coachability beats pedigree07:28 Building Snowflake Canada from zero14:50 The PG Savage profile and why sales academy hires fail 9/10 times17:41 The three founder mistakes that kill story fidelity21:38 First call decks and story adherence in deal reviews26:24 The full-stack AE and the AI-pilled interview test31:31 Manager span of control: 12-14 reps, not 635:20 Doubling quotas while keeping comp flat38:32 Hallucinations as a feature, not a bug43:38 The founding team hiring sequence: SDR, then 2 AEs, then player-coach46:07 Why hyper-personalized content is the new minimumWhere to find Kris:Kris Lawson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krislawsonland/Ruby AI: https://heyruby.aiWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Michael Grinberg is the founder and CEO of the RevOps Shop, a specialized revenue operations firm helping B2B companies optimize their data and CRM infrastructure. Prior to building his own company, he worked his way up through HubSpot for over six years, gaining deep insights into fast-scaling organizations and global talent density. In this episode, he shares why traditional employee templating fails, how to structure dual organizational charts for business outcomes and culture, and his controversial take on why AI agents should never be treated as teammates. - Why trying to template human behavior in business rarely works and how to adjust expectations to match individual journeys instead- The highest leverage method for turning employees into high-agency owners by managing outcomes and completely stepping away- How to design a secondary culture organizational chart using social pods to build a fabric of remote connectivity- Why you should mandate that entry-level remote hires become the squeaky wheel to extract necessary context from busy executives- The financial framework for evaluating AI integration by keeping agents strictly in systems budgets rather than people costs- Why the traditional hiring process is breaking due to fake profiles and how a live screen share test exposes real capability- Using life adversity and immigration as a core behavioral heuristic to identify unbreakable grit during interviewsChapters:00:00 The role of AI agents in the modern workforce01:10 Introducing Michael Greenberg and the RevOps Shop03:00 Why grit and overcoming adversity predict candidate success07:34 Giving your team ownership of outcomes instead of dictating the process10:20 Lessons from HubSpot on sourcing talent globally18:25 Creating a two layer org chart for business operations and team culture20:43 How to onboard entry level talent into a chaotic executive schedule26:09 Why AI tools belong in your systems budget and not your headcount34:00 How the immigrant perspective shapes entrepreneurial resilience40:35 The ultimate live screen share test for vetting remote hiresWhere to find Michael Grinberg:Website: https://www.revops.shop/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sales-and-marketing/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Mark Schopmeyer is the co-founder and co-CEO of CaptivateIQ, a modern commission-management platform that scales incentives for revenue teams. Prior to building his own company, he led finance and strategy operations at BrightRoll and worked extensively in growth-equity technology investing. Under his executive leadership, the company has scaled to serve nearly 1,000 customers globally, including enterprise giants like Netflix and Stripe. In this episode, he breaks down the psychological flaws of spreadsheet-driven management and outlines his core framework for spotting elite leadership talent.- Copied comp plans from larger firms lack authenticity and can easily drive your team in the opposite direction of your actual business objectives.- Spreadsheet math often misleads finance teams into keeping quotas artificially high due to a false belief that sales reps stop working once they hit their targets.- Top performing sales representatives are driven by a desire to maximize their paychecks rather than hitting a bare minimum quota.- When introducing short-term spiffs, leaders must define a clear narrative and exit strategy to avoid the incentive implicitly becoming permanent.- Cultural screening must be an explicit, dedicated stage in the recruiting funnel rather than a casual addition to tactical manager interviews.- Skill barriers have collapsed with the rise of artificial intelligence, making a candidate's intrinsic will the primary determinant of hiring success.- Elite executive hires can be effectively filtered by evaluating just two core qualities during the interview process, clarity and energy.Timestamps:00:00 The origin story of CaptivateIQ and broken compensation4:35 Finding a co-founder and the Y Combinator experience09:12 Why venture capital will not magically build your company13:03 The fundamental flaw in copying other companies' compensation plans17:16 Why finance leaders misunderstand sales rep motivation at quota23:27 How to design effective short term spiffs without breaking culture28:07 Designing a strict interview process to protect your core values32:38 Strategies for maintaining company culture across international borders36:55 Why AI agents cannot replace the accountability of a human sales rep41:53 The clarity and energy framework for hiring legendary executivesWhere to find Mark Schopmeyer:Website: https://www.captivateiq.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mschop/Email: [email protected] to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Elio Narciso is the co-founder and CEO of ScaleStack, an AI-powered go-to-market infrastructure layer powering billions of data points for enterprise customers, and the host of the Revenue Engine Masters podcast. Before ScaleStack, he spent four years at AWS running their global startup program with front-row seats to hundreds of companies building revenue engines, became a certified Amazon Bar Raiser with veto power on hires, and built two prior companies including one that cleared $50M.In this episode, he breaks down the Bar Raiser system, the follow-up question framework that exposes BS candidates, and why AI has raised the hiring bar so high he wouldn't hire his own past self.- Why lowering the hiring bar at Amazon during COVID created cascading effects, including missing the AI wave entirely- How the Amazon Bar Raiser program works and why veto power changes hiring behavior across an entire org- The follow-up question method that breaks down rehearsed answers and AI-assisted interview scripts- Why Elio flips the interview by making candidates ask him questions first, and what their questions reveal about curiosity- The "what did the customer say?" question that exposes whether a candidate is truly customer-centric or shallow- Why ScaleStack shares interviewer feedback before debriefs, breaking from Amazon's protocol- How to evaluate a co-founder using complementary skill sets, kindness in failure, and humility in success- Why "AI slop" first drafts are an instant red flag and what real upleveling looks like in 2026- The closing rule for founders making their third or fourth hire: be your own bar raiserTimestamps:00:00 Cold open: scripts, agents, and rising expectations01:00 From AWS to a third startup: what changed in hiring03:30 Becoming an Amazon Bar Raiser and how veto power works06:30 Follow-up questions that kill rehearsed and AI-assisted answers10:50 The ScaleStack interview system and cultural fit values13:50 Flipping the interview to test for curiosity17:30 Pre-briefs, live docs, and debrief structure21:50 "What did the customer say?" and exposing BS candidates24:50 Choosing co-founders you actually know35:50 "I wouldn't hire myself two years ago" in the AI era40:00 Final advice: be your own bar raiserWhere to find the guest:Elio Narciso on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elionarciso/ScaleStack: https://scalestack.aiRevenue Engine Masters Podcast: https://scalestack.ai/podcastWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Meg Bear is the former President of SAP SuccessFactors, where she led a global 4,000+ person business past $2.5B in revenue with double-digit YoY growth. Before SAP, she spent two decades building enterprise software at Oracle, and today she serves as a public board director, investor, and advisor to companies reinventing work with AI. In this episode, Meg reveals her frameworks for surviving the AI transformation as a CEO, why "intellectual humility" is the new operator superpower, and what boards are actually demanding from leadership in 2026.What you'll learn:- Why "the first rule of holes" applies to every CEO leading through AI transformation right now- The exact 3-question framework Meg uses to coach CEOs into making their own jobs obsolete- Why waiting on AI is "the worst of all postures" and how skeptics will be "very, very wrong"- Why nervous system regulation is the hidden leadership skill nobody is talking about- The hiring rule every founder should follow: hire smarter than you, hire for learning agility- Why boards see revenue per employee as the new battleground for capital allocation- How to hack your own curiosity even if it doesn't come naturally- Why human connection still wins, but only with intentionalityTimestamps:00:00 Ex-SAP President Who Scaled SaaS to $2.5B: 3 Questions to Ask Before AI Replaces You01:12 Meet Meg Bear: From Oracle to SAP President01:53 Why Human Capital Became Human Experience03:16 The Cognitive Dissonance of Layoffs in HR05:00 Why 80% of CEOs Are Scared Right Now06:39 Make Your Job Obsolete Before Someone Does09:01 The 3-Question Framework for CEO Reinvention14:16 The Whiplash FOMO Moment in AI18:08 Big Companies vs Startups: Who Wins the AI Race21:19 Nervous System Regulation as Leadership25:13 What Boards Get Right About Hiring29:30 Why Engineers Now Cost 2X Their Salary34:31 Remote vs Hybrid: Which Org Performs Better37:39 Inventing the Future of Work40:56 Meg's #1 Hiring Rule for FoundersWhere to find Meg Bear:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megbear/The Meg and Amy Show: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMegandAmyShowWebsite: https://www.megbear.com/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Pablo Solare is the founder and CEO of Sprightful, a tech-enabled solar company he's been running for 10 years with just 4 humans and what he calls "hundreds" of AI agents. He relocated his family from Miami to Santa Cruz to be closer to the AI revolution and has built a fully remote operation with contractor teams across South Florida and core team members in Portugal and Colombia. In this episode, Pablo reveals his counterintuitive hiring philosophy, explains why he thinks the ratio of humans to AI agents will reach 1:10,000 within four years, and shares the exact tech stack his team uses to automate their CRM communications.What You'll Learn:- Why hiring someone with zero AI experience might actually be better than hiring AI-fluent candidates- The one trait Pablo values above all else when hiring: high agency and the self-motivating drive to see things through without getting stuck- His "3 months per year" framework for remote team alignment and why it's the sweet spot for retention- How to manage contractor teams who aren't great communicators by meeting them where they are with voice notes and Telegram- Why he'd rather spend CapEx on Teslas with full self-driving for employees than maintaining an office- His belief that remote work can always improve but in-office work has already peaked- How he built an AI agent that texts his team on Telegram when CRM deadlines are approaching and updates the database from their responsesChapters:00:00 Why This Founder Prefers Hiring People Who've Never Used ChatGPT | Pablo Solare04:34 The remote work vs office debate and why adventure trumps efficiency07:31 The 3-month rule for getting remote teams together in person12:18 Managing contractor teams who don't communicate well17:27 How AI agents transformed his CRM workflow with Monday and Telegram21:11 Where humans still matter when AI can do almost everything24:17 The 1 human to 10,000 agents prediction and the first billion-dollar solo company28:25 Why you might want to hire people with zero AI experience33:09 AI is like fire 2.0: we have no idea what the nuclear bomb version looks like36:25 Robots installing solar and empowering human workers40:03 Why you shouldn't fall in love with your AI agentsWhere to find Pablo Solare:Website: https://sprightful.com/Instagram: @pab.sunTwitter/X: @pabsunWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Stephen Banbury is VP of Marketing at ClearlyRated and has spent 20+ years leading marketing teams at enterprise companies including McAfee, Symantec, and Reputation. He's scaled teams from small nimble groups to organizations of 25,000+ people, and currently runs a lean remote marketing operation that leverages agencies and AI to punch above its weight. In this episode, Stephen shares why he deliberately hires people who are "all different" from each other, his framework for deciding between agencies and headcount, and why being "curious" about AI is no longer enough.What You'll Learn:- Why Stephen only hires people smarter than himself and how he learned to defer to experts in functions he doesn't master- The difference between hiring for "craft" versus hiring for industry expertise and why he prioritizes the practice of marketing over vertical knowledge- His rule for remote work success: never accept a meeting invitation without an agenda- Why AI has taste problems and can't replace the creative spark that makes content resonate with buyers- The critical distinction between being "customer-focused" and delivering true "customer experience"- His framework for hiring agencies: find partners who treat your business like their own instead of managing multiple vendors- Why candidates who don't ask questions during interviews reveal they're not truly interested in the roleTimestamps: 00:00 VP Marketing Reveals Why He Only Hires People Smarter Than Himself01:35 Why hiring people smarter than you is the only way to scale03:36 How Stephen learned to defer to experts in product marketing and operations06:47 Self-starters only: the one trait that matters across every company size09:08 AI in marketing: keeping headcount low without replacing anyone10:36 Why AI doesn't have taste and the creative spark still comes from humans14:08 The CX maturity model example: from PowerPoint to interactive tool in months18:37 Customer-focused vs customer experience: the operational difference22:00 Agencies vs headcount: how to decide where to place your dollars28:03 Hiring mistakes: why cultural fit and chemistry matter more than skills31:49 Advice for CMOs hiring their first global team member34:45 Why marketing and the art and science of it keeps Stephen engaged after 20 yearsWhere to find Stephen Banbury:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-banbury-4237441/His companies:Emotive Brand https://emotivebrand.com/ThunderClap: https://www.thethunderclap.com/TripleDart: https://www.tripledart.com/Stephen Banbury’s Podcast:The CX Catalyst Podcast: https://www.clearlyrated.ai/podcastCX& to take the maturity mode assessment:Maturity Model™ Self Assessment Tool: https://www.clearlyrated.ai/cx-maturity-assessmentWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Ryan Barry is the CEO of Appcues, a user engagement platform serving over 1,400 technology businesses worldwide. Before taking the helm at Appcues in March 2025, Ryan spent nearly 11 years at Zappi, co-authoring the best-selling book The Consumer Insights Revolution and scaling the company as President alongside founder Steve Phillips. In this episode, Ryan reveals the unconventional leadership frameworks he used to recruit an entirely new executive team without outside recruiters, why he refused to hire a chief of staff or executive assistant in favor of AI productivity tools, and the four non-negotiable traits he screens for in every single hire.What You'll Learn:- Why Ryan eliminated most one-on-ones from his calendar and what he replaced them with.- The four traits he screens for in every hire: curious, adaptable, smart, and growth-minded.- How he recruited a full executive team through crowdsourcing instead of executive search firms.- Why he refused to hire an EA or chief of staff and used AI tools instead to force himself to learn the cutting edge.- His framework for deciding which decisions need to "breathe overnight" versus which should be made immediately.- The difference between coming in hot with passion versus assuming you know the answer in week two.- Why he embeds team personality profiles and decision-making guides directly into company AI tools.Chapters:00:00 Trailer - Why This CEO Removed All One-on-Ones From His Calendar EP 801:03 Introducing Ryan Barry, CEO of Appcues05:08 Why coming in hot fails most new executives06:16 Breaking down silos in two hours instead of three weeks08:41 How AI elevated support roles instead of replacing them11:11 Recruiting executives without search firms17:20 The four non-negotiable traits for every hire21:04 Managing a geographically dispersed team across Latin America27:48 How he manages energy and async work across time zones31:22 Empowering teams to make decisions without approval35:06 Why he removed most one-on-ones from his calendar39:21 One piece of advice for first-time founders and leadersWhere to find Ryan Barry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-barry-8354036/Appcues: https://www.appcues.com/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/

Annmarie Neal has spent 20+ years as Chief Talent Officer at Cisco, First Data, and Hellman & Friedman where she achieved an 85% success rate across 20+ CEO transitions. Now as Chief People Officer at Zendesk, she's transforming a $2B company into an AI-first organization while activating over 1,000 leaders. In this episode, she reveals the hiring frameworks, referencing strategies, and leadership playbooks that separate successful executive transitions from costly failures.What You'll Learn:- Why hiring people who "look and feel like you" is the biggest hiring mistake leaders make- The 10-12 reference rule: Why 3 references will never give you the full picture- The "vanilla ice cream walk" approach to convincing reluctant leaders to step up- How to assess whether a CEO can scale through acquisitions and complexity- Why the best successions start with strategy 3-5 years out, not solving today's problems- The critical difference between hiring for roles vs. hiring for outcomes- When to bring in your first talent/people hire as a founder (hint: earlier than you think)Where to find Annmarie Neal:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/annmarie-neal-psy-d-b35aa9/⁠Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: ⁠https://latamcent.com/⁠Who We Hire: ⁠https://whowehire.org/⁠In this episode, we cover:00:00 The hiring mistake most founders make but never talk about02:16 The 85% success rate playbook for executive transitions04:00 Assessing talent: identifying superpowers and kryptonite07:45 What actually causes executive transitions to fail09:12 The executive who surprised everyone and crushed it12:24 Activating 1,000 leaders during a $10B transformation19:54 What AI transformation actually requires from your talent function28:21 Why replicating yourself is the biggest hiring trap30:38 The voicemail hack that saves hours on reference checks31:02 The one thing founders building teams need to hear

Juan Betancourt spent a decade placing C-suite executives at Fortune 500 companies through Korn Ferry and Heidrick & Struggles, then discovered everything he knew about hiring was wrong for startups. In this episode, the Humantelligence CEO reveals how he rebuilt his entire recruitment playbook after striking out on three marketing hires and four salespeople, and why giving "B and C players complete freedom" led to zero turnover in five years.What you'll learn: - Why hiring "A-plus superstars" from your executive search days will actually kill your startup, and the "Bad News Bears" mindset that works instead- The critical reference check question that reveals whether someone can thrive in remote work (hint: it's not about their resume)- Why you should never hire a salesperson who's currently unemployed, and the compensation structure that filters out pretenders- The counterintuitive leadership flip: how going from "90% doing, 10% leading" to "90% leading, 10% doing" eliminated all turnover- Why letting employees make decisions you know will fail creates more productivity than micromanagement ever could- The psychometric interview hack that prevents you from accidentally hiring a team of clones who all think the same way- Why executive search reference checks are useless, but startup reference checks are everythingWhere to find Juan Luiz BetancourtLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/juanluisbetancourtWebsite: https://humantelligence.comCompany: Humantelligence (AI coaching for Slack, MS Teams, Outlook, Zoom)Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/In this episode covers:00:00 Introduction: From Fortune 500 recruiter to startup founder04:30 The hunger problem: why successful candidates stop performing06:00 Phase-based hiring: why 0-to-1M requires different talent than 1M-to-10M07:30 The remote work trap: how to reference check for self-motivation09:15 Using psychometric assessments in the interview process14:30 The hardest hire: why sales roles are nearly impossible to interview for19:30 How AI is changing team productivity without replacing headcount25:00 Why zero turnover in five years starts with complete freedom28:00 Killing Fortune 500 processes that stifle startup growth30:00 The AI coaching category explosion and why timing matters37:00 Cross-cultural leadership: why US management fails in France42:00 The Colombia advantage: best country for hiring software engineers44:00 Final tips: references, equity vesting cliffs, and industry-specific hires

Mor Assouline quit his first cold calling job within one hour, then avoided sales for three years. Today, as a 3X VP of Sales and founder of FDTC, he trains B2B SaaS reps to hit 50%+ demo close rates month over month. In this episode, Mor reveals how he identifies "born sellers" in interviews, why he scores coachability on a 1-3 scale, and the counterintuitive hiring approach that lets him poach his best AE hires directly from his own coaching community.What You'll Learn:- The 4 traits Mor screens for in every sales interview: self-awareness, curiosity, critical thinking, and conviction (and how to test for each without asking theoretical questions)- Why watching if candidates ask questions back is more predictive than their actual answers- The "Day in the Life" trial method: how to give candidates mouse control on Zoom and test real-time learning before making offers- Mor's 1-3 coachability scoring system: open to feedback, applies feedback, and proactively seeks feedback (why "threes" are the only ones worth hiring)- The polarizing belief that some people are "born for sales" and the specific charisma signals that can't be trained- Why Mor's first hire was an SDR, not an AE, and why his future AEs will only come from reps he's already coached- The bottom-up approach to quota setting: why running sales yourself for 3-6 months before hiring beats arbitrary top-down targets- How to use Claude AI to build a project with your playbook and share it with new hires as an always-available training assistantWhere to find Mor Assouline:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/morassoulineTwitter: twitter.com/mistamorWebsite: demotoclose.comPodcast: SaaS Talks: From Lead to CloseWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction: Who is Mor Assouline01:30 The four traits that predict sales success: self-aware, curious, critical thinking, conviction06:30 Why hiring people smarter than you felt threatening, and when that changed08:00 The biggest mistake VPs make: asking theoretical questions instead of testing real skills12:00 How to test coachability live: coach them, have them self-assess, then course correct16:30 The polarizing take: some people are born for sales, and the charisma you can't train24:00 Future-proofing your sales career: ask AI how it will take your job29:00 The AI call auditor Mor built to do 85% of his coaching work32:00 Frameworks for coaching sales reps: the "thinking day" and six-week sprint approach38:00 Bottom-up vs. top-down quota setting: running sales yourself for 3-6 months first43:00 Where to find Mor and final thoughts

Travis Mariea built Flxpoint into a powerhouse automation platform serving 300+ e-commerce businesses but the real unlock wasn't the tech. In this episode, he reveals how he slashed onboarding time from 90 days to 14 days using AI, why he starts every hire in Latin America first, and the "AI Sentiment Alert" system that catches at-risk customers before they churn. This is a masterclass in building high-performance remote teams without burning out your senior talent.What You'll LearnThe "Milestone-Based Onboarding" framework that replaced arbitrary 90-day ramp periods with measurable knowledge checkpoints (and cut onboarding to 14 days)Why Travis hires Latin America first for almost every role including developers and the timezone advantage most founders overlookThe "Vibe Check" philosophy that trumps scorecards when evaluating culture fitHow a support hire from Chile became their "AI Operations Czar" by joining an internal AI Slack channel (and how you can replicate this career path system)The AI Sentiment Alert system that reads every support email, flags frustrated customers, and auto-creates tickets for account managersWhy the SDR role is dead at Flxpoint and what "full-stack AEs" look like in 2026The "Luxury Role" test for deciding when a position is truly necessary versus when AI + existing team can cover itWhere to find Travis Mariea:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travismariea/Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flxpoint/Website: https://flxpoint.com/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/In this episode, we cover:00:00: Trailer Episode 4: How This CEO Cut New Hire Ramp Time From 90 Days to 14 Using AI with Travis Mariea06:39: Why strong culture makes remote onboarding seamless, or pushes bad fits out fast12:31: Will AI eliminate roles? Travis's take on SDRs and the "full-stack AE"16:29: Building an internal AI Pod: Slack channels, Notion boards, and cowboy coding23:27: How to decide: Latin America, India, or US-based hires?26:25: From founder doing all sales to knowing when to hire33:45: Where to find Travis and how to get through his LinkedIn inbox#WhoWeHire #EcommerceLeadership #StartupCulture #HiringStrategy #AIinBusiness #RemoteTeams #SaaSFounders #LatAmTalent

Alina Vandenberghe sold her house with her husband to bootstrap Chili Piper in 2016 and built a culture so magnetic that recruiters offering double the salary can't poach her people. In this episode, the co-founder and co-CEO of the billion-dollar B2B meeting automation platform reveals how she identifies intrinsic motivation in interviews, why she reads body language over words, and the radical transparency policies that make employees want to stay forever.What You'll LearnWhy words in interviews are useless, and the specific body language cues Alina watches for to detect genuine passion versus rehearsed answersThe "soul-sucking task" Slack channel that turns automation requests into promotion opportunities, and keeps your best people engagedHow to hire for curiosity and self-sufficiency: the two traits that haven't changed from employee #1 to employee #150The counterintuitive approach to retention: why Alina's goal isn't keeping people, it's creating environments where they find the most growthWhy her best recruiting channel is in-person events (even for a fully remote company), and how she identifies top talent without a target listThe transparency policies that make employees immune to poaching: market-based salary adjustments, decision visibility, and zero monitoringHow to introduce automation expectations during hiring so employees become participants in AI adoption, not resistorsWhere to find Alina Vandenberghe:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinav/Website: https://www.chilipiper.com/Company: Chili Piper (Demand Conversion Platform for B2B revenue teams)Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/In this episode, we cover00:00: Trailer Episode 3 Who We Hire - Alina Vandenberghe05:00: Reading body language: looking for "light in the eyes" and fire in the belly09:30: How AI changed the workload equation, and why it's more overwhelming than expected14:00: The "help" value: screening for people who get joy from helping others19:00: How to recruit without a target list: meeting smart people and building long-term relationships25:30: Why employees aren't threatened by automation: they're participants, not victims30:00 Final thoughts: building a culture that belongs to everyone, not just founders#RemoteWorkCulture #IntrinsicMotivation #EmployeeRetention #TransparentLeadership #AIAutomation

Rand Fishkin built Moz into a $30M revenue company with 130 employees, then walked away after 17 years of board conflicts and a battle with depression. Today, as co-founder of SparkToro, he runs a profitable company with just three people, has already repaid his investors, and is building a video game studio on the side. In this episode, Rand reveals why he prioritizes liking his coworkers over hiring "A players," the specific questions he and his co-founder answered before starting SparkToro, and his controversial belief that the entire VC model is fundamentally broken.What You'll LearnWhy Rand prioritizes personal connection over skills and experience when hiring, and how Google's Project Aristotle research backs this upThe unconventional funding model Rand created for SparkToro and Snackbar Studio that he open-sourced for other founders to useWhy Rand believes there are no A players or B players, only A fit, B fit, and C fit, and how former "underperformers" became rock stars at other companiesThe specific pre-founding questions Rand and his co-founder answered before starting SparkToro, including "what happens if one of us gets hit by a bus?"Why Rand's number one advice for first-time founders is to go to therapy, and how emotional maturity shapes company cultureThe case against return-to-office: how Rand spends $20,000 every six months to bring his team to Italy and still saves money compared to a co-working spaceWhy the games industry is extremely anti-AI and how using AI art can tank your game salesHow Rand recruited Snackbar Studio's lead game designer over four years of following, engaging, and eventually flying him to ItalyWhere to find Rand Fishkin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkinWebsite: https://sparktoro.com/Book: Lost and FounderWhere to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/In this episode, we cover:00:00: Trailer Episode 2 Who We Hire - Rand Fishkin05:00: Working with really smart people is not as fun as working with people you enjoy11:00: When does the VC model actually make sense? Pharma, clean tech, and AI infrastructure18:00: The TinySeed model: 130% returns in five years by avoiding moonshot bets24:00: The four-year recruiting process: how Rand convinced an Assassin's Creed designer to co-found Snackbar Studio30:00: Google's Project Aristotle: psychological safety as the number one predictor of team performance36:00: There are no A players, only A fit: why former underperformers become rock stars elsewhere42:00: Architecting companies differently: why Snackbar has more structure than SparkToro48:00: Rand's number one advice for founders: go to therapy#SmallBusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #RemoteWorkCulture #BootstrappedStartup #PsychologicalSafety

Ryan Farley scaled LawnStarter to over 3,000 cities, but his biggest challenge wasn't operations, it was talent. In this episode, Ryan reveals the "Who" methodology and Top grading frameworks that allowed him to hire senior executives with decades more experience than himself and build a high-performance culture.What You'll Learn:The "TORC" Interview Question: Why asking candidates to name their last 5 bosses (and predict their ratings) scares away B-players immediately.The "Back Then" Hack: A psychological trick to get candidates to honestly reveal their past weaknesses without feeling defensive.The "Fight For Them" Rule: The simple litmus test Ryan uses when the data looks good but the team isn't 100% sold.Executive vs. Junior Hiring: Why senior hires need to deliver from Day 1, while junior hires are an investment in potential.The "Most Impressive Accomplishment" Filter: One specific question Ryan uses to knock out unqualified candidates in the first 10 minutes.The Danger of Compromise: Why you must let the "fire burn" rather than lowering your standards to fill a seat quickly.Where to find Ryan Farley:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanfarley/Website: https://www.lawnstarter.comWho The Book: https://whothebook.com/Where to find Luiz Cent:Website: https://latamcent.com/Who We Hire: https://whowehire.org/In this episode, we cover:00:00 Trailer Episode 1 Who We Hire - Ryan Farley01:36 How a young founder hires executives with 30+ years of experience02:46 The book that became LawnStarter’s "Hiring Bible"05:00 Breaking down the "Who" and Topgrading methodologies05:49 The "Last 5 Bosses" question that filters out bad fits07:05 Using the "Back Then" framing to uncover real weaknesses09:04 The critical difference between hiring executives and managers12:45 The "Gut Check": Would you fight to keep this person?15:40 Scaling talent globally and going remote19:47 The #1 mistake founders make: Lack of process22:03 The "Most Impressive Accomplishment" screening question24:47 Why founders sometimes have to be dictators about process#WhoWeHire #StartupHiring #HiringStrategy #TopGrading #GrowthLeadership #TechStartups #FounderInsights #RecruitingTips