Get on the Plane
The Zoom interview won’t close your next hire in today’s AI market.
The Slack message that made my day
A founder we're supporting sent me a message last week that I haven't stopped thinking about.
He'd just wrapped a conversation with the GTM leader he's trying to hire. The candidate has a lot going on, and the next step was a big Monday meeting. So the founder told him: if Monday goes well and you're still interested, I'll come to you. Don't worry about flying here.
Then he added the part that stopped me cold. The candidate said no one had ever offered to do that for him in his entire career. And the founder? He was being completely sincere. He didn't realize it wasn't a thing.
Why it landed so hard
Think about what a senior candidate's process usually looks like. They take the calls. They rearrange their week. They get on the plane, sit through a full day of back-to-back interviews, and fly home exhausted. The burden of proving interest almost always sits with them.
This founder flipped that. He said, in effect: you're the one I want, so I'll make this easy for you. For a candidate who has spent a career earning every seat at the table, that is rare. It's also memorable and sets you apart, which is exactly the point.
What a plane ticket actually says
A flight is a small cost for a company. To a candidate, it reads as a preview of what working for this founder will feel like.
It says: I respect your time. I'm willing to meet you where you are. When something matters, I show up. Those are the exact qualities the best GTM leaders look for in a CEO, because they know their success depends on a founder who will roll up their sleeves next to them. No pitch deck or comp package communicates that as clearly as a gesture does.
What founders can take from this
The market for proven GTM executives is as competitive as I've seen it. The best candidates are weighing multiple offers, and the deciding factor is rarely just the numbers. A few things I'd pass along to any founder in a search:
Make the process about them. Ask what would make the next step easier, then do it.
Remove friction before it shows up. Travel, scheduling, and access to the board are all chances to signal priority.
Treat momentum as fragile. Once a top candidate is engaged, every slow reply is a gap a competitor can fill. Move fast and play to win.
Be genuine. This worked because the founder meant it. Candidates can tell the difference between a tactic and a value.
Let's get him
When I told this founder he was a dream client, I meant it. He thanked us for staying on top of him, but he's the one doing the hard part: showing a candidate, before day one, what kind of leader he'll be working for.
That's what it takes to win top talent right now. Not a bigger number. A founder who's willing to get on the plane.
Monday is coming. We think we can get him🤞🏻.
