Why hiring the weirdos works

In the fast-paced world of startups, assembling a reliable team is paramount. In a recent episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannessen interviewed Isaiah Granet, CEO and co-founder of Bland, a voice AI startup that impressively scaled from pre-seed to Series B funding in just ten months. With a workforce that has expanded to 75 members, Granet shared valuable insights on discovering talent in unexpected places. Bland's founding team, comprised of recent college graduates, prioritized passion over traditional credentials when making early hires. Granet recounted the lengthy search for their founding engineer, whose prior experience was limited to a few months at an insurance company in Iowa and a management role at Taco Bell. Their breakthrough came when they found him through his GitHub profile, but what truly stood out was his enthusiasm. "When we asked him what he did for fun, his face lit up, and he said, 'I like to ship code,'" Granet recalled. This initial success led Bland to focus on individuals who exhibited a fervent dedication to their interests, regardless of their backgrounds. The company’s diverse team includes philosophy majors and beekeepers, showcasing that unconventional experiences can reveal hidden potential. Granet remarked, "There are people with unique skills that may not look impressive on a résumé but are incredibly valuable. This reflects a level of obsession that can be applied to any field." As Bland has rapidly expanded, the leadership team has faced the challenge of not only hiring but also keeping their workforce motivated and satisfied. Granet elaborated on how the company established a fair compensation framework and ensured that all early employees understood their equity stakes. However, this innovative hiring strategy has its drawbacks. The scrappy talent often comes with limited experience, necessitating adjustments as employees adapt to their roles. Granet explained, "When we invest in an employee, we expect them to invest in the company as well. If you're not producing results, our expectation is that you're putting in six days a week and twelve hours a day." Scaling this unique approach presents its own challenges, particularly given Bland's rapid growth. Granet emphasized the importance of the co-founders remaining actively involved with the team to maintain high performance. He concluded with advice for other startup founders: "Ultimately, trust your instincts; each founder will discover their own effective hiring strategy."