THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2025 | 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET

Your startup's success depends on who you hire. But with limited resources, no established brand, and fierce competition for talent, how do you build a founding team that will help your vision become reality?

Join Gem CEO Steve Bartel as he shares battle-tested strategies from his experience building Gem's founding team and helping thousands of startups hire their early employees. Drawing from his popular e-book "Startup Hiring 101: A Founder's Guide," Steve will break down the frameworks and tactics that actually work for early-stage hiring.

What you'll learn:

• Why recruiting is sales – The fundamental similarities between building a customer base and building your dream team, and how to apply sales principles to your hiring process.

• High-ROI sourcing strategies – How 75% of Gem's founding team came from passive talent and learn how to tap into your network effectively.

• The art of the initial sell conversation – How to personally connect with and sell your vision to passive candidates, even without a well-known brand or competitive salaries.

• The interview playbook – Best practices for evaluating candidates while simultaneously showcasing your startup’s culture and vision.

• Closing from day one — Key techniques for your first interaction and how to ensure candidates are ready to say "yes" to your offer.

• Nurturing passive talent – Build relationships with exceptional candidates who aren't actively looking (yet).

This webinar is for founders and early startup teams who need to make critical hires but don't have the luxury of established recruiting processes or employer brands. Whether you're making your first hire or looking to scale beyond your co-founders, you'll walk away with concrete strategies you can implement immediately.

Bring your hiring challenges and questions – Steve will share candid insights from Gem's journey, along with patterns observed across thousands of startup customers.

"The first 10 hires will make or break your startup." Join us to learn how to turn hiring into your competitive advantage.