Operator-run searches
Our operators get inside the business to scope exactly what's needed today — and what will be needed to scale
Operator-Led GTM Recruiting & Advisory
We've done the job. We know who can.
A search firm built by operators who have held 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.
What Firsthand Partners does
Advisor-backed evaluation
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.
Advisory Network
Operators who've held the seat.
Firsthand Partners works with established 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 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.
Team & advisors
View all operating advisors
Companies where advisors have led
- Lattice
- Nooks
- Apollo
- Fyxer
- Clay
- Tennr
- Miro
- Vercel
- Laurel
- AgentSync
- Webflow
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 advisors who have held this exact role — operators in this precise function — to define the success profile and join the 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. We've seen this story before, so we know what comes next — and we're with you through every chapter, on time, every time.
Get Started
One firm, three ways in.
Tell us where you're coming from — we'll take it from there.
Prefer email? info@firsthandpartners.com
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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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Firsthand Partners
Built by operators. Backed by experience.
A search firm built by operators who have held the seat and seen the full arc of growth.
