Angus Dobbie spent fifteen years inside corporate recruiting, then built JobPass because the job hunt had turned into AI talking to AI.
Applicants use it to fire out resumes, companies use it to filter them, and the recruiters who used to read them got cut to pay for the software.
What struck me is how closely this mirrors building a company. You’re a solo operator with no boss, several pipelines to keep moving, and a front door so crowded the only reliable way in is a side door someone holds open for you. Maya walks away with the order of operations: relationships first, applications second, and a system that forces you to act on both.
Episode outline
- Perth to a Sydney trading floor to New York, then losing it all in 2008
- Why the job market always feels bad, and what AI changed for real
- Risk-averse hiring and the slide back to the average candidate
- Four opportunity pipelines, and why the spreadsheet dies in 24 hours
- Text roulette, dealer’s choice, and networking with no ask attached
- The post-launch flat spot and a note that says “I am not special”
Angus Dobbie spent two decades in international financial markets, then fifteen years in corporate recruiting, hearing the same job search frustrations from almost every candidate he met. In 2026, he walked away from corporate life to build JobPass, a system that helps job seekers run their search like a sales pipeline. Being his own boss was a long-held ambition, and in his words, it sounds good and is hard.
Andy Walsh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/
Three-time founder with two exits who bootstrapped to $10M ARR, now host of Startups Decoded (top 2%, 850k+ downloads) and advising founders on growth through consulting and his podcast.
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Disclaimer.
The views and opinions shared on Startups Decoded are for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making any financial or legal decisions.
What is Startups Decoded?
Most startup podcasts are built for founders who've already figured it out. This one's for the founder still in the middle of it.Startups Decoded covers the full founder operating system — from idea to Series A. Brand, fundraising, marketing, operations, finance, culture, storytelling. Everything a first-time founder needs to actually run the thing, not just pitch it.Host Andy Walsh has been in it — 4x founder, 2 exits, bootstrapped $10M ARR. He brings in founders and investors who've built real companies and gets them to talk honestly about how they did it.New episodes weekly. If you're drowning in decisions and need a framework, not a pep talk — this is your show.