Testimonials
“It’s a huge challenge to find top talent in a short period of time. Even harder when your bar is extremely high, your requirements very specific, and your time scarce & precious. [Matt Johnson of] Paradigm Search enabled us to find a world-class executive who is a perfect match for our team and business. They did a great job understanding our needs, refining the search in close partnership with our team, and introducing us to a very impressive pool of candidates. Paradigm drove the process end to end, enabling our team to stay focused on our business. When we found our ideal candidate, Paradigm was a great partner in selling & closing. The positive impact of a strong match is really obvious, even in the first few weeks. I’d work with Paradigm again in a heartbeat.”
Jason Lango, CEO of Luminary Cloud
Hiring is the #1 priority for every (early-stage) company once they've raised their Series A and it's critical to get your leadership hires right as that will impact the trajectory of the company and the subsequent employees that join your company. We have a shortlist of go-to recruiting partners that we recommend to Emergence founders and Matt Johnson has consistently been at the top for Product & Engineering searches at VP through C-level.
Prior to starting Paradigm, Matt spent a decade at Daversa leading their West Coast Engineering & Product practice. As someone who started her career at one of the premier recruiting agencies and has collaborated with 100s of exec search firms in the past decade, I (and many of our founders) can say with confidence that Matt is in the 1% of recruiters. Fair pricing, white-glove approach to search, access to top talent at iconic companies, adapts to feedback quickly, a trustworthy person, and a litany of resources to supplement your interviewing and closing efforts - what more could you ask for?
Many of our founders end up becoming repeat clients after their first search with Paradigm (VPE, VP Product, etc.). If you're looking to build a world-class team, you'll have an unfair advantage if you engage Matt for any/all of your technical leadership searches.
Tammy Han, Head of Talent at Emergence Capital
We were looking to hire our first CTO/CPO and we were seeking a Talent Agency to really partner with, not simply a vendor. We wanted to work with an org that had a strong rep in the market among the tech community and could match the pace we wanted to move at. We needed individuals we were working with who really understood our business, why it was an exceptional opportunity, and could represent us effectively externally.
Matt and Harrison really connected with our mission and understood the challenge. Their depth of understanding meant they were able to make credible approaches and position the opportunity in the right way. They also were incredibly responsive, highly proactive, and needed little handholding. While most exec search firms advocate for their candidates regardless of whether they're truly a suitable fit, they were balanced in their approach of serving both our interests and those of the candidates they put forward, and were highly transparent throughout. They were trusted advisors and brought a lot of valuable market insights that ultimately led us to an excellent outcome. We have continued to bring Paradigm on for additional searches and have made 3 exec level hires with them.
The level of ambition matched ours and the candidate list was incredibly high quality. Crucially for us, they also presented a genuinely diverse shortlist. They worked harder than any agency we had ever worked with before to drive the right outcome and to support us throughout. We could not rate them more highly as a partner.
Euan Blair, Founder & CEO at Multiverse
Matt, Carley, and Lauren from Paradigm Search were phenomenal from day one. They were always incredibly attentive and proactive about our feedback and search criteria. Each week, we had a number of quality candidates to review, and I felt we narrowed in on the profile we were looking for each time we met. I could tell they cared a lot about the quality of their work and the experience they provided us as their partners in our search.
Ryan Dahl, Software Engineer at Deno
I had nothing short of an A+ experience working with Matt, Harrison, and Haley from Paradigm. They took an inordinate amount of time to get to know our business inside and out and it felt like they were an extension of my own team. They were always on the ball - keeping up with every interview, follow-up, and call and always at arms reach to strategize on next steps. I couldn't recommend them enough to anyone in need of a top-notch recruiting partner. They're in a league of their own.
Ray Zhou, CEO of Affinity
I’ve worked with many firms in the Valley and now primarily refer Matt to all my portfolio companies. He actually looks for the right candidate.
Sumeet Gajri, GP of Original Capital
Before working with Paradigm, our journey to find the right product executive for Maze was fraught with difficulty and delay. Despite a year-long collaboration with another firm, the search remained fruitless, leaving a gaping hole in our organization that hampered growth, innovation, and strategic planning.
The experience with Paradigm was a breath of fresh air and a stark contrast from our previous engagement. Paradigm not only mirrored our ethos and story, resonating with the high-caliber candidates we targeted, but also leveraged their specialization in product searches. This specialization afforded us access to a global pool of exceptional executives, invaluable in refining and calibrating our search. Moreover, Paradigm’s impeccable internal processes and consistent cadence maintained candidate momentum and engagement throughout the hiring journey, ensuring smooth and efficient progression at each phase.
The realization of Paradigm’s efficacy dawned early in our collaboration. We were introduced to two candidates who seamlessly aligned with our company’s culture, values, and expectations of experience and scale. Despite our company being in its early stages, attracting such caliber of talent was a testament to Paradigm’s diligent and skilled team. Their attention to detail and understanding of our requirements illuminated a clear and compelling path to securing the right candidate.
Jonathan Widawski, Founder & CEO at Maze
We wanted to hire an engineering leader that will help us build the org for the next four-five years and will fit our culture and needs today.
You were methodical, listened to what we needed, were very open to feedback, and were very patient through the process. You also helped us to recover from a case when a candidate could not join last minute with the same energy as the original search.
It is great to have a methodical, measured and senior leader in the seat. Mike is making a huge difference in the first few months in his role.
Gadi Shamia, CEO of Replicant
Paradigm was excellent. Head and shoulders above other agencies we have worked with over the years in terms of quality of pipeline, execution speed, and professionalism. Nearly every candidate from them was what we were looking for; we were choosing between multiple great options by the end. Would recommend in a heartbeat.
Blake Meulmester, CPO at Convex
The whole team felt truly engaged and passionate from day one and found us a superstar in no time. They were phenomenal ambassadors and helped us punch way above our weight.
Will Cowell de Gruchy, CEO of Infogrid
If you are hiring a head of engineering or product, work with Paradigm. We were looking for great, and the search wasn't easy. Most firms would have given up. Matt and Carley pressed on. Find that partner who is willing to go the extra mile.
Yin Wu, CEO of Pulley
Matt and Harrison closed both of our searches in under 60 days. They will find the perfect candidate in your first meeting. Would highly recommend working with them!
Tucker Callaway, CEO of Mezmo
