This week I'm excited to share my conversation with my friend and mentor, Jim Jonassen. Jim is CEO and Founder of JJA.co, based in Santa Monica provides search & recruitment services for VC/PE-backed tech & Internet companies, specializing in executing CxO and VP searches & building world-class Marketing, Sales, Business, and Product Development teams. Jim has led nearly 1 thousand searches + founded and built two successful software companies. Also, since 2007 - JJ is the Founder of ThursdayNights.org, convening LA's Tech & Media leaders. Jim co-founded the Digital Coast Roundtable (www.digitalcoast.org) along w/ LA mayor Dick Riordan and launched LAwNMoweR - the Los Angeles New Media Roundtable. A Big Brother since 1992 and a member of the Board of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. Jim is one of my favorite humans, and this episode has lots to offer anyone hiring or looking for their next assignment.
What we covered:
Tweetable Quotes:
“I feel like in this bizarre macro, talent is the only leverage.” - Jim Jonassen
“We feel like we can add more value if there are higher stakes” - Jim Jonassen
“The changes that Covid brought on us will not sort themselves out next quarter, next year. It's gonna be a decade. Among them is the rapid digitization of everything.” - Jim Jonassen
“You can't piggyback on anybody else's due diligence. You gotta do the work; you got to get to the unit economics, and the business plan and the product market fit and everything else on your own.” - Jim Jonassen
“Don’t hire for a job ‘til you’ve done the job.” - Jim Jonassen
“If the work is done, if the rigor is maintained, if you keep that forward momentum, that's what you've gotta have, you gotta have a real partnership and engagement. If you do, it’s going to work real flawlessly.” - Jim Jonassen
“You can’t comfort the afflicted without afflicting the comfortable.” - Jim Jonassen
“Why get a “B Meal?” when you could say,” Hey, let's go raise a little bit more money and hit the bit at Nobu or Maestro's?” -Jim Jonassen
Links Mentioned: