So a little while ago someone that had worked with me many years ago reached out.  He’d lost his job and was looking for something new.  He’d move into a lower paying customer success role, and had a $100k OTE at his last role, where he was laid off.

He’s been searching for months for a new role and was feeling the pressure.

While we hadn’t really kept in touch, I offered him a similar role with significantly higher comp.  My only ask: he own it.  He own the metrics, and really do the work.

He didn’t even hesitate in his response:

”No Thanks.  I Just Really Don’t Want to Work That Hard.”

He’d rather stay out of work, and take a much lower comp package — that own a number.

I sort of dismissed it until I talked with another exec I’d worked with just a little long ago, but really barely knew at all.  We’d only talked twice.  But he’d been laid off and was struggling to find something new.

I suspected I knew a role for him with a great CEO.  It would be risky for me to recommend him to the CEO, but I was willing to try.  I told him though he’d have to roll up his sleeves and do some real work himself at this startup.  Again, he didn’t miss a beat with his answer:

”I Really Only Just Want to Manage People.”

Ok folks.  I hear you.  Late 2020 to early 2022 were interesting times in SaaS, and how we worked, and even if we really worked at all was all in flux.  In a world where NRR went up like clockwork, and buyers bought more and more vendors every quarter, the world seemed to work a certain way.  And it just doesn’t work that way anymore.

I could add a dozen more stories recently.

My only insights to founders are that first, you’re not alone.  A lot of folks don’t want to do the jobs they used to do.  You just can’t hire them.  And to folks looking for a role?  I know it’s hard to take a new role where you have to work harder than the last one.  But at least think about it.  And if you — commit for real.

(no thanks image from here)

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• Source: https://www.saastr.com/thanks-for-the-job-offer-but-id-just-rather-not-work-that-hard/