The first two sprints create clarity. Clarity allows focus. Focus allows depth: real conversations that reveal true fit.

I'm listening for trajectory, what they're building toward, not what they've accumulated. Attribution gets tested: did they cause the growth, or ride the wave?

Candidates come from adjacent ecosystems: agency to brand, brand to PE, consulting to operating roles. Builders with a cross-disciplinary range. Leaders others miss because they don't fit neat categories.

This is validation for both sides, beyond the interview. Finalists don't get a mock assignment. They get a working session: chemistry check, directional thinking and real-time collaboration. Both sides observe. Both sides decide.

The working session often becomes the foundation for the candidate's 90-day readiness plan. Each sprint informs the next, institutionalized around Day 1 success and long-term growth—force multiplication, not just placement.