The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20VC Exclusive: Mercor Raises $100M at a $2BN Valuation: Scaling to $70M in ARR in 24 Months | 9-9-6: 9AM-9PM - 6 Days Per Week: The Most Intense Culture in Silicon Valley | The Future of Programming, Models and Data with Adarsh Hiremath

Feb 20, 2025

Adarsh Hiremath, Co-founder and CTO of Mercor, shares insights on scaling from zero to $70M in ARR in just 24 months. He discusses the intense 9-9-6 work culture that drives their success and hints at challenges in maintaining morale. The conversation includes reflections on the future of programming and AI, revealing how synthetic and human-driven data will shape hiring processes. Adarsh also reveals intriguing anecdotes about their fundraising journey and the importance of a strong company culture amidst rapid growth.

45:55

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Episode guests

Adarsh Hiremath

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Effective recruitment is crucial for a company's success, acting as a gatekeeper of talent that influences overall performance.

Mercor's rapid scaling to a $2BN valuation demonstrates the impact of an intense work culture and strategic talent management in startups.

Deep dives

The Significance of Recruiting

Recruiting is emphasized as a pivotal role within any organization, possessing a level of prestige akin to leadership positions. The success of a company can largely be assessed through its talent inflows and outflows, highlighting the impact that effective recruitment has on overall performance. Adarsh Hayamath argues that a competent recruiter serves as a gatekeeper of talent and can drastically influence a company's trajectory. This understanding reinforces the notion that without strategically selecting the right individuals, achieving operational efficiency and profitability can become an arduous task.

Intro

5min

From Debate to Development: The Entrepreneurial Journey

11min

Navigating AI Hiring and Human Expertise

14min

The Evolution of SaaS and Network Effects in the Marketplace

2min

Evolving Hiring Processes and the Role of In-Person Collaboration

2min

Fundraising Journeys and Strategic Partnerships

5min

Navigating Recruitment and Innovation

4min

The Intense Work Culture and Entrepreneurial Insights

4min

Adarsh Hiremath is the Co-Founder and CTO @ Mercor, an AI recruitment platform and one of the fastest-growing companies in technology. They have scaled to $70M in ARR in just 24 months. They are famed for working 6 days per week, 9AM to 9PM. All of their founders are Thiel fellows, they are also the youngest unicorn founders ever with the fundraise announced today raising $100M led by Felicis at a $2BN valuation.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

04:36 How Debating Makes The Best Founders

06:05 Do People Treat You Differently When a Unicorn Founder

10:58 Scaling to $70M ARR in 24 Months

13:42 How Culture Breaks When Scaling So Fast

23:49 The Future of Foundation Models

24:05 OpenAI vs Anthropic

24:32 Data: Synthetic vs Human

27:10 The Future of Programming and AI

28:15 The Impact of AI Tools on Software Development

28:51 Why Software Will Become Commoditised

29:55 Network Effects and Marketplaces

33:13 Raising From Benchmark After a Helicopter Ride

37:30 Quickfire Round: Insights and Reflections

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