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How to Actually Get Hired
Who reads applications, which channel gets a reply, and what they screen for.
Don't make these mistakes
Don't ask for remote — this team is fully in-person in SF and proud of it; several employees relocated specifically to join. Don't pitch yourself as an AI enthusiast excited about agents — Agave's edge is unglamorous ERP plumbing, and they'll want people who respect that. And don't treat them like a cash-burning startup that needs rescuing: they've been profitable for two years and raised from strength, so lead with how you help them go faster.
What gets their attention
They raised money they didn't need — profitable 2+ years, ~3x revenue growth — purely because demand is outpacing build capacity, and they've committed in writing to ~3x headcount this year. A profitable company with a public hiring mandate is the exact gap this service exists for.
Why applying the normal way doesn't work
At <50 people, Agave has no recruiting team. Your application lands with a founder who is also running sales, product and payroll. The obstacle isn't a queue or an ATS, it's being seen at all. Cold outreach outperforms the form here, consistently.
Who to contact at Agave
Founding team
Before Agave, Tom managed technical product teams at Amazon (2017–2021), where he oversaw software development teams in Alexa AI. He got there via Graphiq, the Santa Barbara semantic-search startup acquired by Amazon in 2017, and started his career as an analyst at Barclays Investment Bank. Columbia grad. He runs revenue directly — Agave's AE posting has the hire working with the CEO on everything from ICPs to contract terms.
Agave's technical co-founder. Pooria was a core engineer at Graphiq before its acquisition by Amazon, where he helped scale Graphiq Search to dozens of languages and billions of queries per month powering Alexa. Senior Software Engineer at Amazon. MS in Computer Science from Oregon State. The natural owner of engineering hires.
John was a Senior Technical Program Manager at Amazon Alexa, building an enterprise product from inception, after joining via Graphiq where he was product lead. He started in equity capital markets at Barclays. Columbia BA, cum laude; born and raised in Toronto. His TPM/product background makes him the likely owner of implementation and operations hiring.
What to show them
A quota-carrying B2B SaaS closing record — their own posting asks for 2+ years closing, ideally selling into construction. Evidence you can run a full cycle solo and feed customer insight back into product. Construction, ERP, or fintech vertical-SaaS experience is a genuine differentiator. Core skills: full-cycle B2B SaaS sales, vertical/industry selling, working directly with founders on GTM.
A cold email that works at Agave
What Agave screens for
Screening signal: They raised money they didn't need — profitable 2+ years, ~3x revenue growth — purely because demand is outpacing build capacity, and they've committed in writing to ~3x headcount this year. A profitable company with a public hiring mandate is the exact gap this service exists for.
Customize your CV for the Agave role. Matching the job description language helps clear ATS filters.
Mistakes that kill applications
Generic CVs stand out at a <50-person company — and not in a good way. Fastest path to rejection.
Skip 'I'm looking for...' — start with Construction is a ~$12T industry running on 20–40-year-old software, and the people who hold its financial know-how are leaving: NCCER projects 41% of the construction workforce retires by 2031, with only about one in ten workers under 25 and your specific angle on solving it.
Applying and waiting = silence. Follow up at day five — it roughly doubles your odds of a reply.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply to Agave?
Through the roles on our Agave jobs page, or directly to a founder or department head if you can reach them. At <50 people, direct outreach outperforms the form.
Does Agave respond to cold emails?
Response rate data for Agave not yet confirmed.
Who is the hiring manager at Agave?
At this size, hiring is usually run by a founder or department head.
What ATS does Agave use?
Agave uses Workable.
How competitive is it to get hired at Agave?
Expect 50-100 applicants in the first two weeks for B2B roles at this size. Apply within 72 hours for best odds.
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