SNACK PACKS_v198
STRAT_SCRAPS Head hunting services.
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SOFT LAUNCHING STRAT_SCRAPS TALENT SERVICES
A long time ago, while with VICE/Virtue, I did some work with Indeed. The project was primarily supporting their Recruiter side of the business, and as a part of the process, I interviewed a lot of recruiters and thought a lot about recruiting. Around this time I also was put in charge of hiring our Summer interns, which resulted in working with two of the most talented junior minds I’ve met to date. And I’ve enjoyed every search and placement I’ve been involved in since.
I bring all this up because there is something new (for me) that I want to try this year. I would love to do some talent placement work in a more official capacity. Among subscribers I have smart people of all levels both looking for work and looking to hire.
People do this as a living by charging a commission. But because I’m just putting my toe in these waters, any jobs I’m able to help secure would be purely in exchange for the experience of it.
IN SHORT…
If you are hiring for a full time strategy role, lets chat – I’d love to help.
If you are a recruiter, I’d love to chat and hear about your experience and advice.
If you are looking for your next job… look out for more in the coming months, I am not quite ready for you yet.
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2026 is kicking off with two different things I was asked to contribute to.
The Recess Creative Playbook. This one is an annual must. TBH I wish I could re-do my contributions because the contributions of so many other folks are so strong
Florian Schleicher’s “Friction Reloaded” trend report. It hasn’t launched yet but catch it next week.
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Would your employer support/participate in a nationwide strike? Talk to them about it now so you know where they stand.
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buy some cheap whistles and hand them out. Here are more resources re; whistles as part of community defense.
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Tons of good resources here for general preparedness.
Report ICE plate numbers here.
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Back to the strategy stuff I guess…
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In Venkatesh Rao’s The Art of the Gig 2, there is a section that talks about management styles.
While not originally Rao’s concept, this was the first place I came across the idea of “Theory X” and “Theory Y” management. It was one of those moments where it seems both obvious in retrospect but also immediately reframes how you think about past experiences.
In short;
Theory X management believes that the role of a manager is to mitigate failure. Managers keep employees from failing or screwing up.
Theory Y management believes that left to their own devices, employees will typically do the right thing. Managers are there to promote growth rather than manage risk.
Thinking back, it’s pretty obvious which category all my best managers have been in…
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This Atlantic piece “Reading is a Vice” was interesting.
In short, the number of people reading is falling. Thats bad. So people are trying to get more people to read. thats good.
But the way they are doing it is flawed. The latest effort positions reading as a way to save democracy.
But the authors surfaces a really strong insight (i don’t use that cursed word lightly) – all the biggest readers they know have memories of reading when they were not supposed to. Of being unable to hear the world around them, or of the flashlight under the covers as a kid.
Reading is a vice. and thats a good thing. By positioning reading as something that can be addictive, it ups the odds people will want to get into it.
a more convincing approach than “read and save the world”
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A fun tool that turns any substack into a newspaper. A pdf version of the stratscraps print newspaper can be found here.
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WEEKLY MONSTER
A few things this time around;
A few flies I recently tied. Interesting to like 3 of you, but learning how to create something new is always really fun.
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From the “anti coloring book” – in which the color is already provided and it is up to you to draw in the lines. Really great concept in a over crowded category.
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These have started popping up all over in my parent’s neighborhood. There is a local wood carver who has been carving faces into downed tree ends, stumps, and other dead wood in parks, parking lots and along sidewalks.
My favorite part of this is 1) the act of adding art/something interesting to the public space and 2) that it suggests there is a person regularly going around with a chainsaw and set of chisels looking for new exposed wood.
I'd particularly be interested to hear about best practices around hiring junior talent. I think there's such a huge disconnect in the market right now between companies/hiring managers (candidates are lazy, unmotivated, lack social skills and professionalism, etc.) and junior talent (roles are so few, companies are asking way too much of them, want more work/life balance, etc.)