Ben Lieb

We're partnering with Uncommon Elite to help you hire operators who actually operate. Most "operators" can't operate anything except a LinkedIn profile. But there's a group of people who've spent years actually operating: managing chaos, leading teams through high-stakes situations, making decisions with incomplete information, and getting things done when resources are tight. They're called veterans. Specifically, former military officers and senior enlisted personnel. Here's what we're doing Starting now, Sagan members get 50% off placements through Christian Ruf's Uncommon Elite. In the executive recruiting world, this translates to between $15,000 - 45,000 in savings per executive hire. That means instead of paying 30% of annual comp (standard executive recruiter rates), you're paying half that. On a $180K hire, you're saving 3X more than your entire annual Sagan membership. Two types of hires that work really well... The senior operator: Former special operations + MBA + a few years in the private sector. These people run portfolio companies, lead regional operations, become presidents of your growing franchise business. They're $180-250K and they've already proven they can translate military leadership into business results. The high-impact GM: Former Marine or Army officer who led 70-100 people, got out after 5-7 years, maybe tried a few things, and is ready to be your number two. Around $10K/month. This is the person who keeps trains running while you focus on growth. They don't get flustered when someone quits. They've seen worse. Why this matters: Christian placed 55 people this year. Fifty-four had zero industry experience. That's the whole point. You're not hiring someone who knows roofing or HVAC or restaurants. You're hiring someone who knows how to lead people, solve problems, and handle stress. When an owner asked Christian if a former helicopter pilot could handle the stress of running a restaurant, Christian said: "If they can fly a helicopter at night at 300 feet over a target in Syria while the world's blowing up around them and shoot back while being shot at and never miss a shot or radio call, I'm pretty sure they can handle the stress." The chicken tenders will be fine. This is who needs this You're running a labor-intensive business. You've got multiple locations or you're about to. You need someone in-person who can manage people, hold others accountable, and give you your time back. You don't need another person with "10 years of industry experience." You need someone who shows up, figures things out, and leads. That's what these people do. How to use this Talk to your account manager. Tell them you're looking for an operator-level hire. They'll connect you with Christian. That's it. We're excited about this. Same customers, same problems, better solution. Jon

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Ben Lieb @unbenliebable

10 months ago

@kellyjgreer @CrucibleCap @doublezero @GigaEnergy_ @get_hydrahost Would love a copy

Ben Lieb @unbenliebable

10 months ago

@orenmeetsworld Love this content. Need deeper dives on these.

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unbenliebable retweeted

Christian Ruf

@pinpulleddrmf

10 months ago

What it is like running a niche recruiting company: Up until a year ago, I was making placements casually. The first one came from here, when I posted about a DEVGRU buddy that was looking for a role. I have roughly 30 individuals reach out to speak with him, and he landed a great role- he is still there! I did some more (casually) before putting my purse down and leaning in. We are at >50 placements for 2025 this year, with more engagements signing on each day. - - - - - - So here is what it looks like: +Team: Myself, a former Air Force NCO, and an offshore ops manager. I have 2x former operators that help part time. +Avg deal size: $25k +Margins: :) +Process: Lead comes in, and we shoot to get on a call within 24 hours. Most times, we can accomplish that. We get an idea of the core outcomes of the role, the attributes needed, and any specialty skills/experience. All but three of the placements we have done have industry experience. If the customer says they are in, we start sourcing within an hour of the call. Most times I have guys in mind and am on the phone with them prior to the contract being signed. Basically all the times I have candidates in front of the client before the retainer is paid. Bad business move? Maybe, but I like SPEED. +Candidates: Our bias is SOF (special operations forces) because of our background and network. Need a SEAL to run your HVAC co in Boston? My SEAL team member will find someone that day. The primary source of talent is our network, with other communities being the alternative. We have had two roles where we did outreach at individuals outside the network to find the candidate. @BPD1776 says I am not really a traditional recruiter because of this- I now agree. When we can’t find SOF, we go all military. At this point, that is 40-50% of what we place. I don’t actually care if they are SOF or not, it is a unique marketing angle that is working. If our candidates from a non-profit, we donate a % of the fee to the non profit (I love these ones). +Leads: FB ads was a flop, organica content is hammering. Also, referral partners and newsletters (@STLChrisH). If you are thinking about sponsoring a newsletter- consider his. I have the ROI to back it. We did a lot of outreach to EOS implementers (our talent makes great integrators) and have realized a couple great roles. Past clients have been incredible- both for repeat business and introductions. Yesterday I had a call with the PE arm of a family office owned by the founder of one of the largest PE funds in the world. That intro came from a repeat client. +Clients: Currently we are mostly home services, construction, and manufacturing. Our clients are a split between PE platforms. Independent sponsors, and small businesses. The SMB ones are rewarding, because it it usually the owner who has hit that point where he/she needs a strong #2. This is a high impact position that our talent gets to come in and crush. +Roles: I thought we would just be doing GMs- I was wrong. We have placed everything from legit CEO to HVAC tech. Ops, sales, marketing, and tech implementation. +Failures: We have had these too! Mostly because of location/role combination, and in areas that are highly populated, which was a big surprise. Candidates have left roles and while that is no fun for anyone, we have come back with replacement options same week. People are people! Overall, on paper it is “simple, not easy.” Anytime you inject people into a process it will get complicated, and we have plenty of that. And when I find myself wondering “WTF just happened this blew up quick and easy”- I am reminded of having a heat stroke in the aircraft while puking or being unable to go to the bathroom for 30 days on a deployment. Maybe the really hard work just took 15 years to compound, and it is finally coming around. Huge thanks to @KrissBergTweets - without him asking me “RUF wtf are you doing?” this wouldn’t be.