Jacqueline Loeb

Sat down with Nick Beadle this week on JOBS THAT WORK to chat about Guild's expanding role to support cities and states. We talk about the similarities shared between cities/states and large employers as they all have to tackle talent development and talent transformation challenges. Some topics include: - emphasizing the value of performance based investments - adapting learning to meet the speed of advancement in LLMs - aligning and building state wide career paths in key industries like manufacturing, healthcare, construction / trades Link in comments for the full read!

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I’m thrilled to officially announce our $3M seed investment in Propel People, a company we built inside the 1848 Ventures studio to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the #construction industry today: the skilled #labor shortage. For small and medium-sized contractors, hiring isn't just a challenge. It's the number one threat to their growth, profitability, and safety. With 94% of contractors struggling to find qualified workers, it’s clear that traditional hiring methods aren't built for the trades. That’s why we built Propel People. It’s a mobile-first, AI-powered hiring platform designed for how construction actually works: in the field. By leveraging smart candidate ranking, instant #SMS-based screening, and a fully #bilingual interface, Propel helps contractors build great crews faster and more efficiently. I’m also thrilled to formally announce that industry veteran Dexter Bachelder is at the helm as CEO. Having worked with Dexter and the team over the last few months, we've already seen the impact of his leadership. His 25 years of experience scaling construction tech companies will be instrumental as Propel People enters this initial stage of growth. This investment reinforces our core thesis at 1848 Ventures: building AI-native companies that solve fundamental pain points for the #SMBs that form the backbone of our economy. A huge congratulations to Dexter and the entire Propel People team on this milestone. We are incredibly proud to partner with you to support the people who build our world. Read the full announcement below. #constructiontech #venturecapital #seedfunding #ai #skilledtrades #smb

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Founders are often optimistic about growth. Sometimes, that confidence leads to funding ideas that don't fully pan out. Royalty-based growth capital is structured to limit downside risk compared to traditional venture-backed paths. Vik Thapar of Cypress Growth Capital explains that, even if outcomes fall short of early expectations, founders often still exit with meaningful results because they retain the majority of ownership. 🎙️ Tune into the Private Equity Value Creation Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gxkEsH3Z 👇🏽 Find Us Here https://lnkd.in/gTdPMk8P #privateequity #privateequitypodcast #privateequityvaluecreation

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We kicked around a frustrating paradox in a meeting at Companyon Ventures this week: there's a flood of entry-level talent out there, yet founders are still having trouble hiring. While new grads are getting sidelined by AI that now handles starter tasks, early-stage companies are desperate for battle-tested operators who can actually navigate the grind of scaling. The irony is that while the market is saturated with candidates, the builder profile feels rarer than ever. Experienced people are understandably hesitant to leave established roles, creating a massive gap that a pile of entry-level resumes (no matter how many) just can’t fill. The traditional application process is basically dead; at this point, your network and your output are the only things that actually signal value. Hiring and firing are just mechanical skills, but recruiting and motivating? That’s an art. We’re finding ourselves looking for qualities that you just can't find on paper. We’re hunting for that internal drive to show up when things get messy, regardless of what a professional background says. The real challenge isn't a lack of people; it’s a lack of the specific, unteachable grit it takes to build something from zero. So I'll ask my network - if you’re a founder, hiring manager, or recruiter, how are you actually screening for this kind of intangible grit right now?

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One of the most misunderstood frameworks as it relates to the A-player, B-player, etc. framework - here's some ready to re-familiarize yourself https://lnkd.in/gMTT2p3T Only more experience people are A-players, right? Here is a summary - A Players (10-20%): High performers who exceed expectations and solve problems proactively - found at any level, including driven juniors who learn rapidly - B Players (70-80%): Reliable performers meeting expectations, forming organizational backbone - includes experienced staff, some with A-player potential - C Players (10%): Persistent underperformers requiring excessive oversight - not about inexperience but ongoing performance issues despite feedback Key differentiators: A players seek feedback (constantly), take risks, mentor others, and achieve goals resourcefully - traits that transcend seniority Talent implications: Invest in A players, develop B players, address C players decisively - junior A players often outperform senior B/C players. Whats critical to understand is how this relates to hiring - since the frameworks lends itself better to evaluating existing teams Here are some things to think about - A player does NOT mean senior- someone straight out college can be an A player - A track record of past performance and going above and beyond is a good indicator of future behavior and results - Time spent on C players is time poorly spent - over and over again this is the biggest mistake that managers and leaders make. The data tells you that it's not a good use of your time - spend time with the A and B players and get acceleration. Spend time with C players and get lower productivity How do you think about hiring and talent?

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Dayna Grayson is a leading VC who has “sat in every chair” at a young age. She founded Construct Capital with Rachel Holt, an early leader at Uber. Together, they are tackling the digitization of industry. Dayna will discuss macro trends, what it takes to be a founder, and the potential for AI. She is one of the few who have successfully blended a career of operations and investing.  Check out our discussion at: https://lnkd.in/eYBUGjbW #leadershipdevelopment

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Unicorn culture has taught founders to believe they need velocity above all else. But velocity without stability is a demolition strategy, not a growth strategy. Camel companies... those engineered for droughts, uncertainty, and long-distance travel... don’t rely on headcount blitzes or panic hiring. They rely on thoughtful selection and human systems that flex without breaking. Catch the full breakdown in this week’s feature or episode : https://buff.ly/Vjg1Zgj

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Every hire, product feature, and GTM experiment is a capital allocation decision, most teams just don’t call it that. I’m kicking off a 3-part series on capital allocation for founders, operators, and finance leaders with a simple question: ➡️ Will the next $1 you deploy become worth more than $1? Series overview Part 1: defines the core concept + the math Part 2: where capital goes + how to measure whether it’s working Part 3: AIMS framework for communicating allocation decisions to management teams and your board Part 1 (attached here) lays the practical foundation: 🔹 The $1 invested test and ROIIC vs. hurdle rates (scoreboard vs. decision lens) 🔹 A lightweight “investment brief” to evaluate bets (GROW / BUILD / BUY) 🔹 The small metric toolkit that translates finance into operating decisions (NPV / payback / ROIIC / incremental margin) 🔹 Early-stage proxies when DCF inputs are unknowable (burn multiple + revenue quality) 🔹 Operator “vital signs” to spot drift early (profit engine, leverage, cash conversion, optics) Series Roadmap ✔️ This series (Parts 1–3): breadth-first. shared, lightweight framework to define value creation, choose decision-grade metrics, and communicate tradeoffs clearly ✔️ Next series: depth-first. momentum drivers + operational decisions that need near real-time measurement to spot drift early and course-correct fast Read Part 1 here and Part 2 and 3 on substack. Next Series will be out next week. 💰 What’s one bet you’re funding right now, and how will you prove it’s working?

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Excited to share that DevSignal is partnering with START EQUITY VENTURES Through their advisory arm, Blue Sky Advisory, we’ll be helping Start Equity’s portfolio companies access top-tier engineering talent from DevSignal. Start Equity has backed companies like Replit, Blue (YC 25), Slate, Cake Equity, and many others — and now, we’re teaming up to support their founders as they scale. Huge thanks to Mohammed Ahmed and the Start Equity Ventures team for the trust. Excited for what’s ahead. You can learn more about it here: https://lnkd.in/eU2ynQtW

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Childcare is a movable barrier and the care economy is workforce infrastructure. Siran Cao dropped so much truth on First Builders this week and shared why even capitalists in a vacuum should care.

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