Vested Interest

A Series B company with strong momentum and a founder-CEO who’s been running the business since day one quietly hits a ceiling. The board starts having conversations the CEO isn’t in on. Investors begin asking hard questions about the team’s ability to scale.

This story is far too common. Research shows that nearly 50% of senior outside hires fail within 18 months, and up to 30% of new executives exit within the first 90 days. Often due to poor onboarding rather than a flawed search process.

When you’re building a company, every key relationship raises the same fundamental question: Does this partner win only when we win, or do they get paid either way?

Most executive search firms operate on the latter model. They collect their fee (typically 25–35% of the executive’s first-year compensation) and move on. Whether that hire becomes a superstar or underperforms is largely outside their financial concern.

For emerging-growth companies navigating hybrid realities, relentless talent competition, and employees who demand purpose, flexibility, and belonging, culture isn't optional—it's your unfair advantage in retention, performance, and brand strength.

You just closed your Series B (or C). The runway is solid, but your current leadership team is stretched thin. Scaling from $10M to $50M+ ARR means you need executives who’ve done this before—leaders who can build teams, hit milestones, and avoid the classic startup pitfalls.

In the startup world, “headhunter” and “executive search firm” get thrown around like synonyms. But they’re not the same—and picking the wrong type of partner can mean months of wasted time, recycled candidates, or a hire that doesn’t stick.

Executive headhunters play a strategic role in helping growing companies secure leadership talent capable of guiding expansion and navigating complexity. Here’s how to identify the right partner for your next critical hire.