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By salespodder in recruitment —

Telltale Bookcasing

This is a still from a video call.

The reason given for its sharing by the above AI agent startup founder seems chilling.

It is alleged the person is a "serial moonlighter". A label which the man himself appears to admit to in the linked piece there. Leading to the same publication referring to him as the "Anna Delvey of Silicon Valley". Adding, tongue-in-cheek (I think!), that to not have been approached by him is a blot on any startup.

A coder with a honed silicon valley job hunt process, "who works at 3-4 startups at the same time". Trousering the loot before being found out. Then on to the next.

As many commentors point out, as someone clearly described as a gifted programmer, it is the more bizarre considering the incredible sum of equity he's left on the table in pursuit of short-term (maybe that ought be micro-term?) wages.

I've seen this in Sales.

In the Enterprise space. Where remote working has long been the norm. Covering a patch far flung from the nearest branch. With but a landline at home. Then a fax. Later, even the internet didn't expose their charade.

Indeed, I feel some saw it as a way to earn a "13th check". Adding an extra month's salary into their year. That's the summer holiday bills sorted.

Yet having personally encountered such perps - and I must say that only ever have I known one (albeit brilliant) rep who did numbers for the more than one employer-in-the-dark, and that lasted but a sprite - I sensed a more destructive driver.

Any dissonance is muted by the shear strive to get away with it. Guilt assuaged by the excitement in keeping one-step ahead. The force bestowed from being immune to hubris, until of course, you're not.

It's why, when you hear retired, reformed (they claimed) gangsters, they speak of how tricky it was to go straight. As even being able to make money legitimately from turning their 'skills' into honest endeavour, any deal struck never awarded the buzz of the illicit haul, no matter its size.

As with the Indian player here, the refusal - or whatever less dramatic ploy used - to physically attend on demand is a serious red flag. As is any overwhelming bias towards the async, when spontaneous connection seems often thwarted. And remember the adage, behaviour pre- is behaviour post-. If your recruitment process is prone to re-arrangements, strange lags or unusual requests, it may well mean only one thing. Bye bye.

With over three decades salesroom experience, the excuses I've heard are legion. They are always excuses. You gotta be brutal in their face.

You think your hiring is immune, yet what is for tech as proven by the overemployed reddit community revelling in moonlighting, also holds among salespeople. Beware.

One other aspect here also struck me.

That zoomscape.

It's just off.

It looks nothing like the shelving of any programmer I've ever called. Nor I suspect even a twenty-something recent Classics grad. And for those paying attention during Peak Zoom, I doubt even backdrop creator to the stars, Thatcher Wine, would have so many bare book spines on show.

I trust yours does not fall so foul.

Finally, of all the comedy replies part of me couldn't help but envy this proposed workspace vibe.

Although let's not go too dystopian.

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