#046 - Chris Bakke on Memes, Hiring, X, & Startups
Dec 13, 2023
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Chris Bakke, serial entrepreneur who sold his company, Laskie, talks about satire & memes, authenticity, acquiring Laskie, capturing value in hiring on X, disrupting staffing companies, criteria for solving problems, and the value of work.
Content creation, particularly comedy, can effectively generate sales and differentiate companies from competitors.
Laskie, a recruiting automation company, was acquired by X to provide a job search experience on Twitter.
Assessments in hiring, such as those offered by Interviewed, bridge the gap between interviews and job performance to ensure better candidate fit.
Deep dives
The Value of Content Creation and Comedy in Driving Sales
Content creation, particularly in the form of comedy, can effectively generate real sales and business growth. By offering honest and satirical content, companies can stand out from the noise in sales and capture the attention of potential buyers. Comedy provides a shield to express honest opinions and address common problems without directly offending the audience. The key is to speak the language of the industry and provide content that resonates with the target audience, whether it's making jokes about tech industry issues or satirizing recruiting challenges. By utilizing various platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, companies can leverage content creation as a powerful tool for driving sales and connecting with their audience.
The Acquisition of Lasky and X's Job Search Feature
Lasky, a recruiting automation company, was acquired by X after a tweet caught the attention of Elon Musk. The acquisition aimed to integrate Lasky's technology into X to offer a job search experience for users. X's goal was to compete with platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed by leveraging Twitter's engaged audience. Jobs from various companies are now available on X's platform, providing users with a distinct alternative to traditional job boards. The next steps involve utilizing user behavior and profile data to programmatically recommend relevant jobs to users and further personalize the job search experience.
Bringing the Interview and Work Environments Closer Together
There is a gap between the interview process and the day-to-day work environment, which impacts hiring effectiveness. One solution is using assessments to bridge this gap, as they provide a more accurate representation of a candidate's abilities. Platforms like Interviewed offer non-technical assessments to evaluate candidates objectively, reducing bias and improving hiring decisions. However, there is still room to further align the application, interview, and work environments. By creating assessments that closely mirror real job tasks and experiences, hiring managers can gain deeper insights into a candidate's skills and ensure a better fit for the role.
The Value and Challenges of Building Hiring Platforms
Building hiring platforms, such as Interviewed, offers significant value by streamlining recruitment processes, reducing bias, and improving hiring decisions. These platforms use assessments to objectively evaluate candidates and provide meaningful insights to hiring managers. However, there are challenges in convincing businesses to adopt these platforms and integrating them into their existing hiring processes. Educating companies about the benefits of assessments, reducing bias, and highlighting the potential for better hiring outcomes is crucial. Additionally, continuously innovating and improving these platforms, aligning them with the changing needs of employers and job seekers, will drive their success and adoption in the hiring industry.
Value of Assessments in the Hiring Process
Assessing candidates through an early and paid assessment process can help eliminate concerns about using their ideas. By creating a standardized rubric, companies can evaluate candidates based on basic criteria such as communication skills and adaptability. This approach builds high-quality teams, fosters respect for every role, and creates a sense of cultural cohesion.
Opportunities in the Labor Marketplace Sector
The labor marketplace sector, including hiring and recruiting, presents significant opportunities for innovation. Conventional platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed have maintained dominance for years, while smaller companies in specialized labor markets have shown disruptive potential. There is a massive portion of the hiring industry still reliant on traditional processes and third-party staffing firms, presenting an opportunity for software platforms to streamline and consolidate services. Areas like third-party payroll and AI-driven recruitment solutions hold promise and can make a meaningful impact in transforming the hiring landscape.
Chris Bakke is a serial entrepreneur, most recently selling his company, Laskie, to Elon Musk and X (Twitter). We talk about satire and memes, X/Twitter, authenticity, hiring and the labor marketplace, how Laskie got acquired, criteria for finding problems to solve, passion and pivoting, and creating value.
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(01:04) Satire, shitposting & memes; authenticity
(14:11) Comedy lets you say things indirectly
(17:37) Being a creator vs. using content for entertainment & sales
(21:46) Laskie & recruiting inefficiencies
(27:23) The tweet & DM that led to Laskie's acquisition
(35:33) Capturing more value in hiring on X
(45:01) Assessments in hiring
(52:47) Opportunities to disrupt multi-billion dollar staffing companies
(01:02:03) Criteria for finding problems to solve
(01:08:07) Passion for space, customer or business model vs. a specific solution
(01:14:02) Are you working on something that is valuable to the world?
