Author: Ivan Kovpak, CEO & Co-founder
Most companies say they value diversity. Then they hire from the same 3 universities, the same 2 cities, the same LinkedIn network.
We built diversity into the structure. Not as a goal - as a requirement.
Diversity doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you design systems that make it inevitable.
Plenty of "remote" companies still hire the same profiles - same schools, same backgrounds, same LinkedIn circles, just scattered geographically.
Real diversity requires 3 things:
Hiring for learning velocity, not credentials. If you require "5 years experience at a Series B SaaS company," you've just filtered out everyone who didn't have access to that path. Learning velocity - can you figure out what you don't know - transfers anywhere.
Treating candidates like adults making investment decisions. Don't sell them on the role. Give them full context. Let them decide if they fit. Self-selection creates better matches than persuasion.
Building systems that compound diversity over time. Every hire either reinforces your existing patterns or expands them. We optimize for expansion.
For most roles, we require a 1-minute video with your application.
Not a polished, scripted presentation. Just you, talking to your phone camera, answering a simple question.
Why?
It filters AI spam. ChatGPT can write a perfect cover letter. It can't record a video of you.
It filters people who didn't read the job description. If you're batch-applying to 50 companies, you won't record 50 videos. You'll skip ours. Good.
It shows personality. Resumes show credentials. Videos show how you think, how you communicate, how you present yourself.
It's the fastest filter. 1 minute to record. 2 minutes for us to watch. We know immediately if you're worth a conversation.
Some candidates don't like it. "Why should I record a video when other companies just want a resume?"