Kraig Ward

I operate at the intersection of human capital and startup technology, believing that the right people and innovations can solve the world’s biggest challenges.

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Check out my latest article: How 10 Years Trying to Improve Executive Search Finally Clicked When I Locked Myself in My Office for 21 Days With 7 AI Agents and Built Something... https://t.co/QYOo6NLoTf via @LinkedIn

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

VCs obsess over deal flow and ownership.

But the biggest variable in portfolio outcomes is still people.

Most firms only intervene after the damage is visible.

That’s backwards.

Built something to fix it. Fund-level. Portfolio-wide. Early.

https://t.co/PLSP3sfgvj 🚀

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

@WillManidis Incredible post. Thank you. @ClayNorris10

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Series B CEO comp isn’t random. It’s a signal.

I analyzed gobs of VC data, a few patterns stood out:

• Pay reflects execution risk
• Boards price trajectory
• Small misalignments compound

Founder comp shapes hiring, trust, & outcomes.

Breakdown 👉 https://t.co/jIzOM93XSe

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

🚨 November ’25 Market Trends Report:

Tech layoffs keep cooling and the talent surplus is almost gone. CEO and board searches jumped more than 50% and 30%. AI still commands 64% of U.S. venture dollars. 🎥 Watch the recap and view the deck 👇
https://t.co/vCDMV5SqU7

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

🚨 October ’25 Market Trends Report:

The market hasn’t cooled — it’s gotten selective. AI now commands 64% of U.S. venture dollars. Exec hiring just hit a post-COVID high (+14% QoQ).

🎥 Watch the recap & view the deck 👉 https://t.co/hMmupWLlTM

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Most early-stage CEOs don’t fail to hire great execs because they’re too early, too small, or too unknown—they fail because they follow the wrong playbook.

Free Report: The 27 painful mistakes I’ve seen sabotage searches — and how to avoid them https://t.co/vdmBun2hid

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

💥 Most startups don’t stall at $30M because of product or funding.

It's the people — the wrong execs left in the wrong seats for too long.

That’s why TraceAir just made a contrarian move: bringing in proven operator Joel LeBlanc as COO.

👉 Full story: https://t.co/CpHnnWBwxz

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Most startups don’t stall at the $10M wall because of product or funding.

They stall because of people.

Run this 10-second test to expose underperformers⏱️

👉 https://t.co/eto5zSYEPo

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

🚀 Executive searches rarely fail for lack of talent. They fail because the setup is wrong.

That’s why we built the Search Accelerator Workshop — a $10K framework our VC partners fund with credits, so portfolio CEOs get it free.

De-risk your search >> https://t.co/DO67fhV9b7

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Exciting news 🎉 Bearhug Recruiting placed Amit Shrivastava as Chief Product Officer at ServiceUp!

Amit joins at a pivotal time as ServiceUp scales its AI-powered vehicle repair ecosystem in a $200B+ industry.

Full press release 👇 https://t.co/3zNu02o6Rl
#WeFishAndWeDish

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

📉 Job growth stalled.
🧠 AI split venture in two.
🚀 Exec demand +31% YoY.
September 2025 hiring trends:
✅ ~95K tech layoffs YTD (6K Aug)
✅ 263K jobless claims, +22K jobs
✅ Top 1% of AI startups raising 3–10x

🎥 Video + 📊 Deck + 🧠 Blog:

https://t.co/lcpalWtLKp

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

📉 Layoffs are back.
🧠 AI ate the capital.
🚀 $100M Execs? Already getting picked off.

August 2025 hiring trends are here:

✅ 16K+ July tech layoffs
✅ 41% of VC to 10 companies (8 AI)
✅ The 3 hardest roles to hire

🎥 Video + 📊 Deck + 🧠 Blog here:
https://t.co/dcD9hcET7n

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

I grew up baking bread, milking goats, and questioning everything.

That curiosity led me to build Bearhug Recruiting — a faster, founder-first way to hire execs who can scale you to $100M.

Here’s how I got here — and what it means for you: 👇 https://t.co/gw4oDKCojY

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

What makes Bearhug different from every other search firm?

This 2-minute video breaks it down:

✅Our 5-step method for landing top 10% execs.
✅ Built for startups scaling from Seed to Series C. ✅ Trusted by founders, CEOs, and VCs.
🎥 Watch here → https://t.co/sEh3mdHJ64

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Startup hiring in 2025 looks nothing like it did a year ago. AI pressure. Founder missteps. Execs getting pickier than ever.

We broke down what we’re seeing across active searches — and how founders are adapting.

🎥 Watch here → https://t.co/3aOEtchJrD

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

Executive search is broken for startups. Too slow. Too expensive. Too much work for founders.

That’s why we built the Easy Button:

✅ Top 10% talent – 2.7x faster.
✅ 90% less founder time required.
✅ For Startups Seed to Series C.

🎥 Watch here → https://t.co/y2WluwcRLF

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

My team just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary ($290.5 million raised across 10 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! 🚀 https://t.co/CYveAoAmLQ

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

My team just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary ($264 million raised across 10 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! 🚀 https://t.co/3IbidbwttK

[Kraig Ward @kraigward]

My team just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary ($478.42 million raised across 11 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! 🚀 https://t.co/fRf3dD9JR0