FP
Operator-Led Leadership Search

We've done
the job.
We know
who can.

A search firm built by operators who have sat in the seat and seen the full arc of growth — uniquely positioned to assess current needs, evaluate the right talent, and help founders see what they need to hire next before they need to ask.

Operator-run searches
Our operators get inside the business to scope exactly what's needed today — and what will be needed to scale
Advisor-backed evaluation
Former operators who've led the function you're hiring for define what good looks like — and what great demands.
Long-term partnership
We've seen this story before. We know what comes next — and we're with you through every chapter of it.

Operators who've
held the seat.

Firsthand Partners works with seasoned operators who have held the roles they advise on — embedding directly alongside founders and growth-stage leadership teams to understand the business, solve real problems, and scope the talent needed to scale.

GTM Advisory

Operating Advisors embed directly with founders as trusted insiders — understanding the real GTM motion, solving operational challenges, and scoping the talent the business actually needs.

Candidate Evaluation

Advisors who've led the function or held the role evaluate our preferred candidates — applying pattern recognition from doing the job, not from interview rubrics

Companies where advisors have led

  • Lattice
  • Nooks
  • Apollo
  • Fyxer
  • Clay
  • Tennr
  • Miro
  • Vercel
  • Laurel
  • AgentSync
How We Work

Search shaped by
lived experience.

01
Understand the business, not just the brief.

Before we source a candidate, we get inside the company — the GTM motion, team gaps, what breaks at this stage. We ask the questions that only matter if you've been there.

02
Activate advisors who've held this exact role.

We bring in the relevant advisors from our network — former operators in this precise function — to help define the success profile and participate in candidate evaluation.

03
Recruit peer-to-peer, not transactionally.

Our network was built in the field, from relationships working shoulder to shoulder. When we reach out, we've already pre-screened.

04
Stay past the close.

The first hire is just the beginning. Our operators help see around corners because they've seen the journey. So you can hire on-time every time.

Get Started

One firm, three ways in.

Tell us where you're coming from — we'll take it from there.

For Companies
I'm Hiring
You're building a leadership team and need a search partner with firsthand experience.
For Leaders
I'm a Leader
You're an experienced operator open to the right next move.
Join the Network
I'm an Advisor
You've held the seat. Now help shape founders and talent for success.
Also on StealthJobs.co
Your role, seen by operators who aren't on the market yet.

Reach accomplished leaders who are privately open to the right move, before they surface anywhere else. Every candidate in your pipeline has already said yes.

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StealthJobs.co — For Operators
Your next move is already waiting.

StealthJobs.co surfaces roles that never get posted publicly. Backed by Firsthand Partners, every opportunity is curated for GTM operators — matched to your level, stage, and function. No noise. No outreach. Just the right opportunity when it's ready.

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BUILT BY OPERATORS
BACKED BY EXPERIENCE.