Traditional executive search runs on gut feel. We run on criteria.
Most firms decide based on resume, partner intuition, and a 45-minute chat. VPA brings 10 measurable, documented dimensions. Not to remove human judgment from the decision — to give it a foundation that survives board and cap-table scrutiny.
EKSA + EQ + CQ + IQ + 3 A's
EKSA — Craft fundamentals
Experience
Trajectory relevant to the startup's stage. Not a polished resume — useful track record.
Knowledge
Technical command of the problem this person will solve. Depth, not buzzwords.
Skills
Day-to-day practical skills in the role. Hands-on capability that shows up when the candidate solves a problem of the type they'll face on the job.
AI
Applied fluency and practical use of AI tools in the craft. Hard filter in 2026.
DifferentiatorEQ · CQ · IQ — The three quotients
Emotional Quotient
Maturity, self-awareness, capacity to manage pressure without burning the team.
Cultural Quotient
Fit with the Seed–Series B operating reality and the specific values of your startup.
Intellectual Quotient
Analytical capacity, reasoning under ambiguity, novel-problem-solving.
3 A's — Drive for startup environments
Adaptability
Capacity to operate well in volatile environments and constant change.
Autonomy
Moves forward without close management. Bias for action without becoming a cowboy.
Ambition
Career drive and hunger aligned with your startup's aggressive stage.
Why AI fluency became non-negotiable in 2026.
Leadership that doesn't operate with AI fluency today will be obsolete before the next cap-table cycle. An engineering manager who doesn't code with AI, a PM who doesn't use AI for discovery, a head of marketing who doesn't automate workflow with AI — all are about to be lapped by people operating 3× faster on the same headcount.
We assess this with practical sandboxes, calibrated questions, and a review of how the candidate actually uses AI in their day-to-day craft — not by what they write on LinkedIn.
The 3 profiles we map
Operates with AI as default tool. Uses it for discovery, code review, planning, communication. Result: 3–5× the productivity of the average.
Uses AI occasionally, knows they need to go deeper, hasn't yet integrated into workflow. Trainable in 60–90 days.
"I don't trust AI for this." Hard filter for startup leadership post-2025. No exceptions.
5 stages. 3 to 10 business days to shortlist.
- 01
Alignment
45–60 minKickoff with the founder or hiring exec. We map the position, the stage, what breaks if this person comes in wrong, and calibrate the ideal profile.
- 02
Strategic research
5–7 daysProprietary mapping of the target market across LatAm: who fits the profile, where they are, and conversion probability. Not a keyword search on LinkedIn.
- 03
Interviews and VPA assessment
7–14 daysApplication of the 10 criteria on each qualified candidate. Structured interview, technical sandbox where it makes sense, and documented evaluation.
- 04
Reference check
2–3 daysValidation with 3+ references per finalist. Not the ones the candidate offered — the ones we mapped in our research process. It makes a difference.
Where other firms skip - 05
Final shortlist
Top 3You get 3 finalists with full dossier: VPA assessment, explicit gaps, fit with your startup, and aligned compensation expectations. Ready for direct interview.
Want to see the method applied to your next hire?
30 minutes to map the position and show how VPA filters candidates for it.