A-Players

Hiring top talent starts with asking the right questions. At A-Players, we’ve spent years identifying and placing top 1% talent in leading companies across the U.S. and Europe. Some insights from our work: ???99% success rate in filling roles ???59.5% of all hires were C-level or leadership positions ?????78.1% of our hires are based in the U.S. Now, we’re inviting you to join a conversation on hiring. ??If you could ask just one question to determine whether a candidate is an A-Player, what would it be? ???What’s in It for You? ? A $100 Amazon gift card ? A copy of Who: The A Method for Hiring ? The winning question will be featured in our network as a go-to hiring question ???How to Participate 1. Submit your best hiring question https://lnkd.in/d4XCbb_R 2. Our selection committee—recruiters with 5+ years of experience—will review all entries. 3. The selected question will be announced on April 4. Your question could redefine how top talent is hired. Share your best one today.???

Big News: A-Players Join Techosystem! Great startups don’t just need funding or ideas — they need A-Players to bring those ideas to life. That’s why we’re excited to join ?? Techosystem, a civic union that unites Ukraine’s top tech companies, investors, and founders. We’re on a mission to connect game-changing talent with world-class startups, because the right people don’t just build products, they build the future. By joining Techosystem, we’re doubling down on our mission. ?? Techosystem is all about creating the best conditions for product companies to thrive and strengthen the country’s tech ecosystem, making Ukraine a global hub for innovation. And we’re here to help make that happen. Let’s build, scale, and change the game together!

Hiring is hard — and every founder knows it. At our Austin breakfast during SXSW, we had over 100 registrations but kept it to just 11 founders and investors for a focused conversation — and the insights were gold. Some key takeaways that stood out: 1.Ask about project complexity, not just achievements. It reveals true ownership. 2. Ask candidates what they’ve learned recently. Curious, growth-driven people always have an answer. 3. Rethink test tasks. Make them engaging and tied to real challenges — no “free work”. 4. Try a test day. Bringing final candidates in to work with your team shows you what no interview can. 5. Hire a Head of Sales for innovation, not just industry experience. A-player outsiders can drive more impactful change, especially when sales is integrated into the product. One big reminder: Hiring isn’t just a challenge — it’s THE challenge. But here's the good news: with the right tools and tactics, founders are finding ways to hire smarter, faster, and with more confidence. If you’re navigating the hiring maze, know this — there’s a better way forward.

Hiring is one of the biggest challenges for founders. And we felt it in every conversation at our San Francisco breakfast. The atmosphere was incredible: founders and investors swapping real stories, tough lessons, and we even spilled some secret questions to spot A-players. The energy was inspiring, the network was top-notch, and the takeaways? The kind you actually use. Tomorrow we’re bringing that same energy to Austin and SXSW. If you missed SF, don’t miss this one. Same format, new room, and still a few spots left - who’s in? RSVP now in the comments before we run out of spots ??

The startups that scale? They hire differently. That’s exactly what we’re breaking down at Austin’s Founder & Investor Breakfast—with founders who’ve built and funded some of the fastest-growing startups. One of them? Sofia Vyshnevska - Co-founder of Jome, the AI-powered platform redefining home buying - Raised $16.5M+ to tackle the housing crisis - Scaled to 17 major U.S. markets - Helped 100,000+ buyers find homes A-Players helped Sofia expand Jome’s team to fuel growth—now, she’s sharing what it takes to hire, scale, and win before the competition does. ?? The hiring signals that make VCs say YES ?? How top founders recruit 10Xers before anyone else ?? The team mistakes that quietly kill funding deals ?? How to build AI-era teams that scale fast Our founders, Lesya Arnold & Lyubava Obodenko, will be there—who should they meet? Drop a name, tag a founder, and grab your seat in the comments ??

The real difference between startups that scale and startups that stall??Who they hire - when, how, and why. This week at Founders & Investors Breakfast, we’re getting real about the hiring decisions that make or break your company with someone who’s been on both sides of the table: Alexei Chemenda. - Scaled Adikteev to $65M revenue in 3 years - Angel investor in 200+ early-stage tech startups? - Built the first French company that was accepted at Y Combinator? - Now driving AI-powered video innovation at Poolday.ai He’s seen the inside of hundreds of companies.?He knows exactly what investors look for in a founder - and the hiring mistakes that scare them off. Last seats left - don’t miss it. The link is below ??

Scaling Soon? Don’t Just Wing It. If you’re a founder gearing up to hire, this San Francisco breakfast is where you want to be. We’re bringing together top founders and investors for a casual morning of straight-up insights on building teams that drive funding and scale fast in the AI era. At A-Players, we’ve closed 50+ leadership roles—so we know what it takes to build teams that get results. Here’s what’s on the menu: ?? What makes investors say yes ?? How to spot top talent before anyone else ?? Red flags that stop funding in its tracks ?? Team structures built for serious growth And we’re partnering with Vasyl Dub for this one – Founder of Raisable Founders Hub, mentor at Stanford and Alchemist Accelerator, Stanford Longevity Ambassador, and YouTube host. Vasyl has accelerated 100+ founders through mentorship, a unique acceleration program, and networking events, connecting 1,000+ founders with VCs. Two perspectives. One table. Let’s crack the hiring code together! ?? RSVP link is in the comments

Boston, you were incredible! At A-Players, we don’t believe in packing a room with hundreds of people. We believe in curating small, impactful events that allow meaningful connections to thrive. This time, we brought together not 500, not 100—just 30 founders, VCs, and innovators—and it made all the difference. Everyone had a chance to connect as people—not just founders, not just investors—having deep conversations and sharing insights. Huge thanks to Ramses Alcaide for showcasing his mind-blowing brain-computer interface tech—it felt like stepping into the future! And to Allan Gobbs, for bringing a fresh VC perspective on backing transformative biotech. Shoutout to MacPaw ???? for hosting us, and to everyone who made the evening unforgettable! Gledis Vogli Jason Syversen Daniil Bratchenko Patrick Pierson-Prah Vadim Yasinovsky Ihar Mahaniok Fiona Millan Kal Kilpi Konrad Zielinski Elena Beloshapkova Aidan Regan Stephen Linderman Marissa Gutoff Nicolas Labovitis Jeurys Santiago Who’s ready for the next exclusive, high-impact event? ?? #Networking #Innovation #Biotech #FutureOfTech #Boston #Startups #Event #Impact

Neuroscientist, deep-tech founder, and one of the leading voices in brain-computer interfaces (BCI), Ramses Alcaide is building technology that allows people to control devices with their minds! His journey began at the University of Michigan, where his research in neuroprosthetics helped people with disabilities regain mobility. That work led to Neurable, a company pioneering non-invasive BCI technology, backed by top investors in deep tech. Neurable has been featured in Forbes, MIT Tech Review, and WIRED, and is redefining how humans interact with technology—unlocking new possibilities in productivity, gaming, and beyond. At our Founder & Investor event in Boston on Feb 18, Ramses will share: ? The real-world impact of BCI beyond the hype ? Lessons from building and scaling a deep-tech company ? What it takes to fund and commercialize frontier technology Looking forward to this conversation. Join us in Boston TOMORROW – RSVP link in the first comment! #Startups #VC #DeepTech #Neurotech #BostonTech #APlayers

Announcing Our First Speaker: Allan Gobbs If you’re part of Boston’s biotech, venture capital, or deep tech scene, you won’t want to miss this. Allan Gobbs, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at ATEM Capital, invests in life sciences companies that are not only successful but also transformative. His track record: ? 5 IPOs, including Atea Pharmaceuticals’ 40x IPO return and Syndax Pharmaceuticals’ $1B+ market cap ? 4 major acquisitions, such as Tobira Therapeutics’ $1.7B sale to Allergan and Amolyt Pharma’s $1B+ acquisition by AstraZeneca ? Advised on $20B+ in M&A and capital markets deals during his time at Barclays Capital Beyond the numbers, Allan is committed to impact—funding companies that save lives and push the boundaries of human health. As a Forbes Business Council member and advisor to the National Cancer Institute, he’s shaping the future of biotech in meaningful ways. Join us to gain insights from someone who has built and backed billion-dollar companies. ?? RSVP now: https://lu.ma/kr3uhjza #boston #startup #vc #biotech #networking #event #unicorn #founder #investor #impact #purpose