Founder Resources

Early & Growth Stage Startup Founder Recruiting Insights

"Bearhug's in a category of its own. It's not even fair to compare them to other recruiters. Their process and work product blew me away."

Kourosh Zamani
"Bearhug helped us hire damn great department heads who've all built out strong teams. We’re growing 10% MoM & have expanded to 30 states!"

Maria Khokhlova
"Bearhug found our winning candidate within 7 days. Towards the end, it felt like they were our own Chief People Officer."

Himanshu Gupta
“Working with Bearhug was worth every penny and every minute. I now have a new standard for how I'll recruit for all future hires.”

Robert Romano
“I’ve recommended Bearhug to my board and will promote them to the other startup founders in my network. They've done an amazing job!"

Somya Kapoor
"Of the 55 Executive Search Firms I've worked with, none had the follow-up, professionalism, thoroughness & enthusiasm as Bearhug Recruiting."

Richard DeFrancisco
“Bearhug's unwavering drive & persistence gave me the confidence they'd get the job done. We found an amazing "diamond in the rough!"

Aaron Elder
“Bearhug's a N of 1 at what they do. Any VC portfolio company with go-to-market hiring would be very lucky to work with them.”

Ryan Alshak
"Now I really know what it means to be a "great recruiter". I'm afraid there is an impossible gap between Bearhug and the rest."

Dmitry Korolev
“Bearhug helped us hire all of our GTM function heads. Monthly sales have grown ~3x. Plus our team freaking loved working with them!”

Ivan Lvov
"Bearhug's hiring window was solid. The process was solid. Our needs were met effectively which is why I’ve come back for all our GTM roles."

Rohit Gupta
"Bearhug's approach was structured & methodical which helped us ferret out candidates we simply would not find through other means."

Sriram Ramachandran
"The experience with Bearhug was like a breath of fresh air. We hired a great new CEO and the way they serviced us was amazing.”

Josh Hailpern

Kraig Ward 9/26/25 Kraig Ward 9/26/25

Bearhug Recruiting Places Joel LeBlanc as COO at TraceAir, the Enterprise Software Platform Modernizing Land Development and Construction with AI & Drone Data, to Drive Growth To $100M Milestone

Most founders assume they’ll scale past $100M on product-market fit, funding, or a killer sales playbook. The harsher truth? Companies stall because of people — the wrong execs left in the wrong seats for too long. That’s why TraceAir’s decision to bring in Joel LeBlanc as COO is pivotal. He’s a proven operator who has scaled businesses from tens of millions into the hundreds of millions, while building cultures that hold under pressure. In this post, we break down why Joel’s placement matters, what founders get wrong about timing exec upgrades, and the contrarian lesson: don’t wait for a stall. Replace B-players with true A-players before they drag down culture, morale, and revenue.

Kraig Ward 9/25/25 Kraig Ward 9/25/25

This 10-Second Test Exposes Underperformers (+ Why Most Founders Never Use It) — Until Growth Stalls, They Hit the $10M Wall, & See Hidden B-Players Dragging Down Culture, Morale, & Revenue.

Most startups never break through the $10M wall—and the reason is hiding in plain sight. The scary truth is that many of your highest-paid leaders would fail a simple 10-second test: can you clearly explain how they move the needle? We break down the 5 KPIs every role must have, how to spot underperformers, and why replacing just one wrong leader can create an instant surge in culture and revenue.

Kraig Ward 9/15/25 Kraig Ward 9/15/25

Bearhug Recruiting Places Chief Product Officer at ServiceUp — A Case Study in Executive Search, Founder–Board Alignment, and Scaling Product Leadership in a Fragmented $200B+ Market.

ServiceUp just closed its Series B and needed a CPO fast. With ~75% of the next growth phase hinging on product leadership, waiting wasn’t an option. The 60+ person team, spread across four countries, was scaling into one of the most fragmented, operationally heavy markets in tech. The mandate: land a head-turning leader who could expand TAM, own the transaction flow, and up-level the org ahead of adding a future CTO. In this post, we break down how Bearhug Recruiting partnered with ServiceUp’s CEO Brett Carlson and PeakSpan Capital’s Jack Freeman to run a 90-day sprint, how we found the right leader outside the expected lane, and why Amit Shrivastava’s track record in scaling AI-powered marketplaces made him the perfect fit to drive the next chapter.

Kraig Ward 6/6/24 Kraig Ward 6/6/24

How SpaceX’s Competition with Boeing Directly Relates To Your Startup’s Success – PLUS How You Can Avoid Blowing Up Your Next Executive Search While More Easily Hitting Your Stretch Goals.

SpaceX launched it’s fourth Starship test flight this morning. Once again they managed to achieve their pre-set objectives for this mission. However, what you may not realize is Boeing got $4.2 billion to develop their astronaut capsule, while SpaceX only got $2.6 billion. Yet they finished 4 years sooner. A true demonstration of the power and impact you can have by hiring the right GTM leaders for your team. This article provides a snapshot of some key recruiting data points and offers a simple solution for helping you stay focused on more easily hitting your stretch goals while being strategic about how you work with external talent partners.

"Your level is above 99% of recruiters because of the obsessive detail you go through to truly understand both the candidates and the role. Most firms say they go deep, but Bearhug actually does. That’s why we got the outcome we wanted, in the timeframe we needed."

Brett Moyer
"Bearhug’s process was absolutely thorough. From market coverage to real-time visibility, nothing was left unexamined. We landed the perfect person for the moment. 10/10."

Brett Carlson
"The Bearhug team is one of the top executive search firms in the nation. They have a very unique perspective on building and scaling companies and I highly recommend their work!"

Spencer Dusebout
“I want to commend the Bearhug team for being such excellent partners to our entrepreneurs and the larger PeakSpan team. We really appreciate and value our relationship with you!"

Phil Dur
“Bearhug helped one of our portfolio companies hire almost their entire US C-level team, that enabled the business to scale from 1 to 20M+ over the last 4 years. They are truly awesome.”

Anton Fedorov
"I’ve worked with dozens of search firms, and Kraig and the Bearhug team are truly something special. They put more thought into their work than almost anyone I’ve met in business."

Jay Potter
“Kraig and the Bearhug team are one of the best startup recruiting firms I have ever met.”

Gaurav Manglik
"Kraig, we are thrilled to formally finish the process. Congratulations on your helping us get an amazing new executive to our company!"

Vangelis Mihalopoulos
"Having seen Bearhug from both sides, as a candidate & client, their approach is unmatched. Radical transparency and hands-on coaching delivered results that felt like a miracle."

Jon Kerry-Tyerman
“Bearhug’s outreach stood out immediately — specific, contextual, and focused on real impact. The process was collaborative, transparent, and the most thoughtful I’ve ever experienced."

Amit Shrivastava
“Bearhug’s approach was refreshing — transparent, knowledgeable, and focused on adding value from the start. Their approach turned a high-stakes role into a smooth, confidence-building experience.”

Nick Ezzo
"Bearhug is the recruiting partner high-growth businesses need — experienced, transparent, and realistic about what’s possible in senior searches. They bring urgency and deep preparation to every step."

Colin Parker
"Bearhug does things differently. The process was thoughtful, transparent, and executed with a level of rigor and insight I didn’t expect."

Doug Brown
"I was initially skeptical, but Bearhug quickly proved different — down-to-earth, empathetic, and thorough. They exceeded all expectations and delivered a great outcome for both sides.”

Matt Fox
"Bearhug’s process was extremely structured, efficient, and effective. Unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The level of detail and organization gave me total confidence at every step."

Jason Murante
"Getting to know the Bearhug team through such a thoughtful, structured process was a standout experience. Any high-growth startup needing specific executive hires should expect not just results, but a process that makes candidates want to join."

Walter Rowland

Founder Resources

"Bearhug's in a category of its own. It's not even fair to compare them to other recruiters. Their process and work product blew me away."

"Bearhug helped us hire damn great department heads who've all built out strong teams. We’re growing 10% MoM & have expanded to 30 states!"

"Bearhug found our winning candidate within 7 days. Towards the end, it felt like they were our own Chief People Officer."

“Working with Bearhug was worth every penny and every minute. I now have a new standard for how I'll recruit for all future hires.”

“I’ve recommended Bearhug to my board and will promote them to the other startup founders in my network. They've done an amazing job!"

"Of the 55 Executive Search Firms I've worked with, none had the follow-up, professionalism, thoroughness & enthusiasm as Bearhug Recruiting."

“Bearhug's unwavering drive & persistence gave me the confidence they'd get the job done. We found an amazing "diamond in the rough!"

“Bearhug's a N of 1 at what they do. Any VC portfolio company with go-to-market hiring would be very lucky to work with them.”

"Now I really know what it means to be a "great recruiter". I'm afraid there is an impossible gap between Bearhug and the rest."

“Bearhug helped us hire all of our GTM function heads. Monthly sales have grown ~3x. Plus our team freaking loved working with them!”

"Bearhug's hiring window was solid. The process was solid. Our needs were met effectively which is why I’ve come back for all our GTM roles."

"Bearhug's approach was structured & methodical which helped us ferret out candidates we simply would not find through other means."

"The experience with Bearhug was like a breath of fresh air. We hired a great new CEO and the way they serviced us was amazing.”

Bearhug Recruiting Places Joel LeBlanc as COO at TraceAir, the Enterprise Software Platform Modernizing Land Development and Construction with AI & Drone Data, to Drive Growth To $100M Milestone

This 10-Second Test Exposes Underperformers (+ Why Most Founders Never Use It) — Until Growth Stalls, They Hit the $10M Wall, & See Hidden B-Players Dragging Down Culture, Morale, & Revenue.

Bearhug Recruiting Places Chief Product Officer at ServiceUp — A Case Study in Executive Search, Founder–Board Alignment, and Scaling Product Leadership in a Fragmented $200B+ Market.

How SpaceX’s Competition with Boeing Directly Relates To Your Startup’s Success – PLUS How You Can Avoid Blowing Up Your Next Executive Search While More Easily Hitting Your Stretch Goals.

"Your level is above 99% of recruiters because of the obsessive detail you go through to truly understand both the candidates and the role. Most firms say they go deep, but Bearhug actually does. That’s why we got the outcome we wanted, in the timeframe we needed."

"Bearhug’s process was absolutely thorough. From market coverage to real-time visibility, nothing was left unexamined. We landed the perfect person for the moment. 10/10."

"The Bearhug team is one of the top executive search firms in the nation. They have a very unique perspective on building and scaling companies and I highly recommend their work!"

“I want to commend the Bearhug team for being such excellent partners to our entrepreneurs and the larger PeakSpan team. We really appreciate and value our relationship with you!"

“Bearhug helped one of our portfolio companies hire almost their entire US C-level team, that enabled the business to scale from 1 to 20M+ over the last 4 years. They are truly awesome.”

"I’ve worked with dozens of search firms, and Kraig and the Bearhug team are truly something special. They put more thought into their work than almost anyone I’ve met in business."

“Kraig and the Bearhug team are one of the best startup recruiting firms I have ever met.”

"Kraig, we are thrilled to formally finish the process. Congratulations on your helping us get an amazing new executive to our company!"

"Having seen Bearhug from both sides, as a candidate & client, their approach is unmatched. Radical transparency and hands-on coaching delivered results that felt like a miracle."

“Bearhug’s outreach stood out immediately — specific, contextual, and focused on real impact. The process was collaborative, transparent, and the most thoughtful I’ve ever experienced."

“Bearhug’s approach was refreshing — transparent, knowledgeable, and focused on adding value from the start. Their approach turned a high-stakes role into a smooth, confidence-building experience.”

"Bearhug is the recruiting partner high-growth businesses need — experienced, transparent, and realistic about what’s possible in senior searches. They bring urgency and deep preparation to every step."

"Bearhug does things differently. The process was thoughtful, transparent, and executed with a level of rigor and insight I didn’t expect."

"I was initially skeptical, but Bearhug quickly proved different — down-to-earth, empathetic, and thorough. They exceeded all expectations and delivered a great outcome for both sides.”

"Bearhug’s process was extremely structured, efficient, and effective. Unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The level of detail and organization gave me total confidence at every step."

"Getting to know the Bearhug team through such a thoughtful, structured process was a standout experience. Any high-growth startup needing specific executive hires should expect not just results, but a process that makes candidates want to join."

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