A Nigerian startup founder's unconventional hiring strategy has yielded impressive results.
Bland, a voice AI company, has grown from pre-seed to Series B in just 10 months, with a team of 75 people. The company's ability to find hidden talent in unlikely places has been key to its rapid growth.
Bland's early hires were selected based on their passion rather than traditional qualifications. The company's founding engineer, for instance, had a short stint at an insurance company in Iowa and previously worked at a Taco Bell. He was discovered through his GitHub account.
The company prioritizes people who are obsessive about their passions and young and scrappy. This approach has led to a diverse team, including philosophy majors and beekeepers.
Bland's leadership team has had to adapt to the challenges of motivating and keeping the team happy as the company grows. The company has developed a fair pay structure and ensured that early hires understand their equity.
However, this approach also has its downsides. The company often has to adjust for inexperienced employees who may need time to grow into their roles. Bland expects employees to invest in the company and put in the extra work to improve.
Bland's unconventional hiring strategy highlights the importance of finding the right talent for a startup. The company's emphasis on passion and obsession over traditional qualifications is a refreshing approach in a competitive job market. This strategy may not be scalable for every company, but it has clearly worked for Bland.
