Four months ago, I called a candidate about a C-level search and he laughed before I finished my sentence.
Yesterday, I called him again. Same role, better title, bigger scope, more money.
He still said no.
I can’t tell you which search this is — too easy to spoil for the people involved. But I can tell you what the hiring company wants: people who came up through the top labs. Anthropic, OpenAI, that tier.
The problem was never the target list. It’s the pitch.
The CEO believes the company is the prize. In his mind, if a candidate isn’t dying to join, something’s wrong with the candidate — not the offer.
That first call, four months ago, the candidate spelled out exactly what was missing. Title was one of four things. So the company fixed three of them and came back yesterday with more money and a better seat.
Still a no. Turns out he wants a rocket ship, and he wants to run it from San Francisco. Why would he fly out to some outpost every other week when he can build the same career without leaving home?
Here’s the part that stings for a CEO who thinks his company sells itself: outside your own building, you’re not special. You might be the biggest name at your local gym. Step into a bigger gym and you find out fast where you actually rank.
Companies like his are a dime a dozen in San Francisco, New York, Austin. The candidates he wants know it. They have options and zero urgency.
If you’re the hiring manager (or the CEO) reading this: get in front of A-players yourself. Don’t show up in round three to rubber-stamp a maybe — I’ll set the calls, but you make the case for why this specific bet is worth the risk. Expect to lose some anyway. Change the pitch, change the approach, keep swinging. Nobody said this would be easy, least of all at the top of the market.
If you’re the candidate reading this: same lesson, different angle. If you’re punching above your weight right now — no brand-name degree, no marquee logo on the resume — the fix isn’t a better story. It’s better performance. Put your head down, get great at the job in front of you, and the market eventually notices. It’s slower than a rebrand. It also actually works.
That candidate who laughed at me? He’s not being difficult. He’s just not impressed. Right now, neither is anyone else worth hiring. If your search feels stuck for the same reason, hit reply — I’d bet we’ve seen your exact version of this.