I made a new hire… I brought on board one of Mr. Beast’s early friends 🙈, Caleb Boxx, as our Director of Marketplace, in doing so I learned a valuable lesson on attracting talent.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: why would someone with such an impressive background (think YouTube fame and millions earned) join a startup like ours? The answer might surprise you – it wasn’t just about the salary.
This made me reflect on how we managed to attract exceptional talent using unconventional terms. As most startups know, those early days can be a challenging financially.
“You may not have money or a fully built product as leverage, sometimes all you have is you… and your ability to make people feel important and a part of something interesting”
Caleb isn’t the only one. Our CTO came from a multi-billion dollar company, and another team member had a thriving startup generating over $100k a month. All took significant leaps of faith to join us on this journey. Even our head of growth left a well-known media company to be part of our team.
So, what’s our secret sauce?
It boils down to building genuine relationships. Most of our key hires, including Caleb, came through personal relationships. Instead of pushing our project from the get-go, we focused on nurturing connections. We didn’t just talk business; we shared our dreams, aspirations, and the exciting future we were building at Snack Prompt and The Daily Bite.
Another secret weapon? Openly sharing our vision. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled up our design plans on Figma, not just for investors, but for friends and potential collaborators. This transparency and passion not only helped us build a strong team, but also played a key role in securing our first round of VC funding.
In the hustle and bustle of startup life, it’s easy to forget the power of human connection. But as I look at our team, I’m reminded that most of them came through personal connections. It’s a reminder to step out, connect with people, and build genuine relationships.
When I asked Caleb why he chose us, his answer was simple yet powerful: he missed the camaraderie and innovation of the early YouTube days, the thrill of building something new with friends. He saw that same potential and excitement with us, and that resonated deeply.
Our approach might seem unconventional, but it’s rooted in the powerful combination of relationships, shared vision, and the human desire to be part of something meaningful. We’re not just building a team; we’re fostering a community united by a common goal. And that, in my book, is the real recipe for success.
Here’s to building something extraordinary, together.
PS. I have a gift for you below!
Eder Teixeira
Take this Week’s Poll 🔍
The Email Structure Is Evolving
I’m brainstorming ideas for the future structure of our emails, and I’d love to know which segments you’re most excited about. Here are the 4 segments planned. Which one are you looking forward to the most?
Main Story – Insights and personal anecdotes unraveling complex ideas into simple insights.
Weekly Toolkit – Practical tools and how-to guides for immediate application to work or growth.
Pulse: I want to hear from you – Interactive polls and Q&As to dive into your preferences and experiences.
A Gift for Them – Exclusive tutorials, resources, or early access to new tools, offering unique content and insights.
Possible Section: a section to show you what AI prompts I am building and using for my daily workflows
A Special Gift: Every Week, I’ll Share a Gift with You
This week’s gift is a bit unconventional—it’s for both of us.
Launching the “Stupid Simple” email series, I invited your replies, poll participation, and comments, promising a personal response to each.
Admittedly, responding to everyone has been a harder than I though, but I’m committed to improving my response time. Why? Because fostering a genuine connection with every one of you, the builders and dreamers of this community, is paramount to me.
So, for today’s special share, I’m giving you direct access to my primary email: eder@snackprompt.com.
This isn’t just about opening a line of communication, but also to see how I can help you integrate AI into your business and life. As previously mentioned, my goal with Snack Prompt & The Daily Bite is to educate and onboard the next Billion users to AI, so there’s a lot of work ahead.
It’s about building a bridge. My aspiration is that, looking back someday, we’ll see how this simple step fostered a meaningful exchange of value and connection, directly and personally, between us.
Let’s make this journey together and I look forward to hearing from you.
