Today we chat with Adrian Fagerlund. Founder and CEO of Linkby.
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Show Notes
Today we chat with Adrian Fagerlund. Founder and CEO of Linkby.
---
💼 Join 47,000+ following on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfoconnor/
🐦 Join 40,000+ following on Twitter: https://x.com/BrianFOConnor
00:00 Meet Adrian Fagerlund
00:15 Launching a marketplace during COVID
00:57 The chicken-or-egg problem, getting the first brands and publishers
2:31 "We had to hire 15 people at once"
4:51 How he decided which roles to hire for
6:49 Going 100mph but slowing down for hiring
8:35 "The structure hasn't really changed," what he got right early
9:09 Why he doesn't use recruiters or AI to hire
12:16 The 4-step hiring process: vibe check, sample, puzzle piece fit
14:55 "Blinded by glossy packaging," the hire that burned him
15:37 The cultural difference that changes interviews in America
19:53 How to vibe check when you can't describe your culture
22:52 "Lifers," the employees who followed him across companies
24:37 "You can't teach hunger," the ESOP and commission structure
26:33 How to tell if someone is moldable and hungry in an interview
28:06 The type of questions that reveal real candidates
29:23 Can you spot moldability before the 30/60/90?
30:59 Day-in-the-life testing and giving feedback live
32:20 The onboarding process that keeps people around
35:23 Training library: what's async vs. live
37:59 How to decide what to train at $1M to $5M
39:00 Training by need: new products, new skills, new focus
40:48 How to make sure 100+ people actually adopt a new skill
44:57 How to know if people understand AND do what you trained
47:43 AI Visibility: helping brands rank inside ChatGPT
50:02 What is reverse pitching?
50:29 Use case: how an ecomm brand uses Linkby
54:48 The publisher side: how writers make money with Linkby
58:10 Where to find Adrian + Linkby
What is Legends of Scale?
In this show 7 - 8 figure founders share the truth of how they scaled their business. The business model. What they tried (and didn't work). And the scaling tricks they use to grow: SOPs? Hiring? AI?
We're joined by digital service business owners: agencies, coaches, and consultancies.