Author: Ivan Kovpak, CEO & Co-founder
Most companies say they value diversity. Then they hire from the same 3 universities, the same 2 cities, the same LinkedIn network.
We built diversity into the structure. Not as a goal - as a requirement.
Why diversity requires intentional design
Diversity doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you design systems that make it inevitable.
Plenty of "remote" companies still hire the same profiles - same schools, same backgrounds, same LinkedIn circles, just scattered geographically.
Real diversity requires 3 things:
Hiring for learning velocity, not credentials. If you require "5 years experience at a Series B SaaS company," you've just filtered out everyone who didn't have access to that path. Learning velocity - can you figure out what you don't know - transfers anywhere.
Treating candidates like adults making investment decisions. Don't sell them on the role. Give them full context. Let them decide if they fit. Self-selection creates better matches than persuasion.
Building systems that compound diversity over time. Every hire either reinforces your existing patterns or expands them. We optimize for expansion.
The 1-minute video filter
For most roles, we require a 1-minute video with your application.
Not a polished, scripted presentation. Just you, talking to your phone camera, answering a simple question.
Why?
It filters AI spam. ChatGPT can write a perfect cover letter. It can't record a video of you.
It filters people who didn't read the job description. If you're batch-applying to 50 companies, you won't record 50 videos. You'll skip ours. Good.
It shows personality. Resumes show credentials. Videos show how you think, how you communicate, how you present yourself.
It's the fastest filter. 1 minute to record. 2 minutes for us to watch. We know immediately if you're worth a conversation.
Some candidates don't like it. "Why should I record a video when other companies just want a resume?"
Perfect. They've self-selected out. We want people who read carefully, follow instructions, and are willing to do slightly more work for roles they actually want.
The best candidates? They watch it as a signal. "This company filters carefully. If I get hired here, my teammates will also be people who cared enough to record a video."
Quality attracts quality.
Job posts as manifestos, not descriptions
We don't write job descriptions. We write manifestos.
Their structureOur structureAbout usHere's what's broken in this spaceResponsibilitiesHere's how we're fixing itRequirementsHere's where you fit in that solutionBenefitsYou're probably NOT a fit if...Apply hereNow do your homework before applying
Most companies try to attract everyone. We actively repel people who won't thrive here.
Examples from real posts:
You're probably NOT a fit if you need structure handed to you (we'll train you on tools and process, but you need to own execution).
Fair Warning: This is a supporting role, but it's not a shadow role. You'll run real recruiting cycles. From week 3 onward, you're not 'the intern learning.' You're 'the person running our recruiting cycles.' If that sounds like too much responsibility too fast - that's okay. Better we both know now.
Candidates who read that and apply anyway? They know what they're signing up for. No surprises.
Every post ends the same way:
Now go explore Unstuck Engine, check Ivan's LinkedIn, look at our Unstuck Cult(ure) deck, and record that video. We're looking for someone who does their homework before hitting send.
The P.S. at the bottom:
Still reading? That's actually the #1 qualification for this role: you read all the way through.
That's not clever copywriting. It's a filter.
How we actually hire: 3 flows
We run 3 parallel hiring processes, each optimized for different situations.
Inbound recruiting: Mass hiring through job boards
This is for roles where we need volume - junior positions, internships, common skill sets.
Process: Create job post → distribute across 14 free job boards → screen in ATS → interview → hire.
The job posts follow the manifesto structure. The screening happens fast - 1-minute video plus resume review. Interviews focus on real work scenarios, not hypotheticals.
Outbound recruiting: Proactive outreach with ICP
This is for roles where we know exactly who we want, and they're not actively job searching.
Process: Define ICP → build target list using LinkedIn → score using our own product → personalized outreach → relationship building → hire.
We practice what we preach. Same multi-dimensional ICP scoring we sell to customers, we use for recruiting.
The outreach isn't spray-and-pray. It's "we analyzed 500 profiles, you're in the top 10 for fit, here's specifically why we think you'd crush this role."
Headhunting: Top 1% through relationship building
This is for senior roles where we need exceptional talent.
Process: Define what "top 1%" means → identify where they hang out → engage with their content for 2-4 weeks → build relationship → eventually mention we're hiring.
Don't pitch cold. Build relationship first.
Follow their Substack. Comment thoughtfully on their LinkedIn posts. Share their content. Add value.
Only after you've established genuine connection do you mention: "By the way, we're hiring for X. Your work on Y reminded me of this role."
Even if they're not interested, you've built a relationship. Maybe they know someone. Maybe they'll be interested later. Maybe they become a customer.
We treat this as Bounty work. After each headhunting cycle, we document: Where did top candidates hang out? What messaging resonated? What didn't work? Time investment required?
That documentation becomes a playbook. The next time we hire a similar role, it's no longer a Bounty - it's a Standard process.
What we deliberately don't do
No "culture fit" interviews. Culture fit is determined by watching someone work, not by asking them hypothetical questions. By day 90, we know if you fit.
No endless interview rounds. 1 or 2 interviews max. Make a decision fast. Dragging candidates through 6 rounds signals indecision, not thoroughness.
No "let's think about it." If you're a yes, we move immediately. If you're a no, we tell you immediately. If you're a maybe, we probably lean no.
No negotiation theater. Our offer is our offer. We don't lowball hoping you'll accept less. We don't have "special pricing" if you push back. We calculate what the role is worth, we offer that, you accept or don't.
No hiring for "potential" without proof. Show us you've learned something hard before. Show us you can figure out what you don't know. Don't tell us you "could probably learn" if given the chance.
No spray-and-pray recruiting. Same problem we solve for customers, we solve for ourselves. High ICP fit + right role + meaningful signal = outreach. Everyone else gets filtered out.
The more ambitious bet
These systems work for full-time hires.
But there's something bigger.
Most internships optimize for one side. Company extracts cheap labor. Or intern gets "experience" on resume but limited real growth. Never both sides winning equally.
That's the same broken pattern we see everywhere: seller wins, buyer loses. Employer wins, employee loses. One side extracts, the other settles.
Our entire mission is building a world where every GTM interaction matters to both sides. That includes employer-intern relationships.
So we designed the internship as a product.
Not a program someone threw together. A product we iterate on. We run a cohort. We see what works. We kill what doesn't. We document the learnings. Next cohort is better. Then better again.
Product thinking applied to people development.
Most programs focus on hard skills. Learn this tool. Follow this process. Execute these tasks.
We build T-shaped professionals.
Deep expertise in 1 area - GTM, Product, or People. But broad understanding across the full B2B stack. A GTM intern understands how product decisions affect campaigns. A product intern understands how design impacts conversion. A People Ops intern understands how hiring affects culture.
Plus something most programs never touch: culture.
Not "culture" as in free snacks and ping pong tables. Culture as in principles you carry forever. Overeducate Not Oversell. Fail Fast. Total Feedback. Context Not Control.
These aren't slogans you memorize. They're frameworks you practice daily for 6 months until they become how you think.
The scope covers everything it takes to build and scale a B2B company:
- GTM (outbound, content, demos, partnerships)
- Product (design, QA, engineering, data)
- People (recruiting, onboarding, engagement)
Wait - data engineers in an internship?
Yes. Because data engineering IS GTM infrastructure. When you're analyzing campaign performance, conversion funnels, ICP scoring accuracy - that's GTM work. The code lives in data pipelines, but the purpose is GTM intelligence.
Here's what makes this actually work:
Interns don't just get skills and portfolio. They get a mindset shift.
Most people treat job decisions like: "Does this pay enough? Is the commute okay? Do I like the manager?"
We teach: treat career decisions like investment decisions.
What's the ROI on your time here? What capabilities are you building? What network are you accessing? What opportunities does this unlock 2 years from now?
This single mindset shift changes how they evaluate every opportunity after us.
The results?
Interns perform like full-time employees, not typical interns. By week 6, they're running real recruiting cycles, shipping real features, executing real campaigns - at the level you'd expect from someone 2 years into their career.
That's not because they're exceptionally talented (though some are). It's because the program is designed to accelerate growth, not extract labor.
Win-win, actually. Not in the corporate-speak sense. Actually win-win.
They leave with skills that normally take 5 years to acquire. Portfolio work that's genuinely impressive. References from founders who know their work intimately. Mindset that transforms how they make decisions.
We get execution at the level of full-time employees. Fresh perspectives on problems we've been staring at too long. Better documentation - interns are best at finding gaps. And expanded sphere of influence as they graduate and move on.
But here's the part most companies miss:
They leave. But we don't let go.
Alumni program keeps relationships alive. Monthly check-ins. Career advice. Intro to opportunities. Help with next roles.
Our interest isn't just sentimental. It's strategic.
We want our alumni climbing as high as possible wherever they go. VP of Marketing at a Series B? Amazing. Head of Growth at a unicorn? Perfect. Founder of their own startup? Even better.
Because the higher they climb, the more influence they have. The more teams they build. The more GTM decisions they make. The more culture they shape.
And they're making those decisions with our frameworks in their heads.
Internship doesn't end at 6 months. It's a lifelong network that compounds.
Some join other companies and bring these principles with them. Some become customers who understand our product deeply because they understand the philosophy. Some build competing products and we end up partnering. Some become founders and hire other alumni.
The network effects multiply. Alumni recommend other alumni. They collaborate on projects. They build companies together. They hire each other.
And every one of them is making better GTM decisions than they would have otherwise. Hiring better. Building better cultures. Challenging broken practices.
That's how you change an industry. Not by convincing companies to buy your product. By training people who change companies from the inside.
If education beats persuasion - and we're betting everything it does - this is how you scale belief.
We're not just building a company. We're building a movement.
Next: The Unstuck Engine Internship Program - Structure, tracks, expectations, and how to apply.
Foundation: Our culture: The real engine - The 9 principles that interns learn by practicing, not by reading.
See the systems: How we work - The daily operations that make intensive intern training possible at scale.
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