“People are Power Law, too.”

Sam Hinkie

87 Capital

The Best Don’t Apply.

Perpetuate believes in a world where companies scale with fewer hires. Those hires become much, much higher leverage. Talent Density now defines Outcomes. We’re an Off-Market Search Firm. Similar to a recruiter in function, but very different in Approach. We only engage with people who, paradoxically, don’t need to apply for jobs. Access is our Craft. We obsess over accessing Talent others (humans + agents) can’t reach.

Working with Emerging Companies of the Future

Trusted by top venture-backed and bootstrapped startups, scaleups, and unicorns across Australia, Silicon Valley, and the Globe

Silicon Valley AI Workflow Category Leader

Perpetuate Hired

Multiple Senior (L4, L5) Level Product Engineers - AI Orchestration

L4 Level Engineering Lead for ANZ Region

~$900M Frontier Space and Critical Minerals Technology Platform backed by Blackbird (Series D)

Perpetuate Hired

Senior Director - Exosphere Product

(NASDAQ: WDAY) $70B+ global SaaS company

Perpetuate Hired

8 Senior & Principal Engineers

Series B/C software-configurable world-first precision-testing platform led by ex-NASA Alumni

Perpetuate Hired

Technical Product Manager (Edge AI)

Head of Advanced Manufacturing

Operating System for High Stakes Regulatory Verification and Workflow Automation, backed by Blackbird

Perpetuate Hired

Senior Product Designer

Principal Product (AI Exploration) Engineer

Platform Engineer

Senior Product Engineer

ASX-Listed (ASX:EVS) EnviroTech x Sensor and Modelling Platform

Perpetuate Hired

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Chief Product Officer (CPO)

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Senior Software Engineer

Head of Cyber Security

“Collaborating with Perpetuate over the past few years has proven to be immensely beneficial for our organization.

Their profound understanding of our cultural dynamics, technical requirements, and the intensity needed for success in our fast-paced environment has set them apart.

The consistently high quality and diverse pool of candidates presented to us in a timely manner have empowered us to engage with exceptionally strong individuals and ultimately make the right hiring decisions.

Perpetuate's commitment to excellence has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in our recruitment success, and we look forward to continuing this valuable partnership.”

Jason Cooper

CEO & Managing Director of Envirosuite (ASX:EVS)

“Stephen is simply the best technology recruiter I've had the pleasure to work with.”

Simon Pincus

VP at Opengear

“Sophia is the person to know in regards to product manager and owner roles in Brisbane. She's been an amazing advocate for the product community by facilitating events and venues where we can come together and learn as professionals. Sophia has amazing energy and gives back 10x when thinking of introducing or expanding product roles in your org - certainly start a conversation with Sophia.”

Jase Clamp

Principal Product Manager, Microsoft Clipchamp

'"Steve was able to source high-caliber talent with the right skill sets quickly and efficiently in the Eastern Australian market. He was an absolute pleasure to work with."'

Brittany Zenger

Director of Software Engineering, Zapier (ex-Salesforce)

“I have been working with Sophia for 5+ years on Product recruitment and I could not recommend her talents highly enough. Sophia takes the time to truly understand the business and the roles available and only puts forward candidates where the position is right for both parties. With her experience Sophia is also able to provide feedback, guidance and advice on salary ranges, role expectations and clear candidate briefs to ensure I not only always find the right people talent, but retain them.”

Sara Brown

VP Product and Engineer, Altas Carbon and MaiaGrazing

“Stephen knows the deep tech market and will passively recruit and advocate for you constantly. The candidates he refers are a great culture and role fit, because he understands our business well and only pitches the top candidates. A great recruitment partner that can help you access the unicorns in the market.”

Scott Savage

VP Product & Technology at ResApp Health

Who We Already Serve

Complex Data / Systems Engineering / Frontier Hard-Techs

Silicon Valley & Australasian SaaS

Energy / Industrial / Renewables-Tech

Talent is a
Craft Game.

At our core, we believe Talent and Hiring is, and should be - a Craft Game NOT a ‘numbers game’.

Our Craft, every day, is oriented towards winning the highest calibre of Australian Tech, Product, Engineering, Scientific and Innovation Talent - for world-class DeepTech, HardTech and Innovation-Led Customers. We proactively headhunt. We don’t wait for world class, top 5% individuals to magically land in our lap.  

We achieve Craft by utilising our hyper-contrarian, precision-oriented, and (we think) highly-sophisticated Talent System™, unique to us. Foundationally, our sourcing & matching System™ is built on concentric circle Signal recognition, researching Pattern and crafting the most artisan, hyper-customised pitch(s).  

Perpetuate aims to disrupt traditional Recruitment, by guaranteeing better Signal. (who you ultimately hire). And, eliminating noise + distraction (the ‘smokes & mirrors’ process of TradRec).

Hiring High Stakes, Frontier Talent with us, is frictionless

All we need is 1 hr (max) of the founder or chief decision maker’s time.

We craft the job descriptions for you, do the outreach to our talent network – and you’ll get introductions to top candidates within 5-10 days.

Today

Message or call us to get started

Simply email, text, or call to get started or to learn more about our process.

During our first call

We create a profile of the role(s) for you

We create a highly-sophisticated and customised Pitch of the role(s) + your company (we take care of this)

Within 5-10 days

Get 2-3 top candidates

We’ll then introduce highly qualified, accurate and precise individuals.

What our founders are saying

“Perpetuate, under Stephen's guidance, has consistently matched and delivered talent exceptionally. Almost every candidate seems to bring unique value to the team, fitting more into a 'yes' or 'not yet' rather than a 'no', indicating a deep understanding of our specific requirements.”

Jess Flanagan, Co-Founder @ Deckard

(ex-Qualcomm, Engineering Lead), Series A

Robotics Engineer(s)

COO

Engineering Lead, or Manager

VP/Director Engineering

Robotics Engineer(s)

COO

Engineering Lead, or Manager

VP/Director Engineering

CTO

Senior or Staff Level Product

Senior ML Engineers

AI Engineers

CTO

Senior or Staff Level Product

Senior ML Engineers

AI Engineers

Customer Review(s)

“I have had the pleasure of working with Stephen for several years now, and I wholeheartedly endorse him as a top-tier tech recruiter. With a knack for finding the best talent available, he has been instrumental in helping me scale out several different teams over the years.  

Stephen consistently maintains a high level of professionalism, ensuring a seamless and efficient recruitment process. His dedication and commitment to finding the right fit for each role have made him an invaluable assetIf you are seeking an outstanding tech recruiter, I strongly recommend Stephen. His eye for talent will undoubtedly make a significant difference in your organization's growth and success.”

James Davies

Founder, Skedulo

I tend to not have a lot of time for recruitment firms. Stephen and Perpetuate are the exception to that rule. Stephen is the one recruiter I regularly introduce to whoever may be looking for people.   

He has placed excellent people into my teams and has always maintained constructive, low pressure contact.He has really come into his own since founding perpetuate, with a keen eye for innovative businesses and a knack of finding the right people to place into them.If you're wondering whether you should work with Stephen and Perpetuate, let me assure you that having him thinking about your business is only a good thing.

David Novakovic

EM, CalcTree, Ex-Twitter

'Collaborating with Perpetuate over the past few years has proven to be immensely beneficial for our organization. Their profound understanding of our cultural dynamics, technical requirements, and the intensity needed for success in our fast-paced environment has set them apart.

The consistently high quality and diverse pool of candidates presented to us in a timely manner have empowered us to engage with exceptionally strong individuals and ultimately make the right hiring decisions. Perpetuate's commitment to excellence has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in our recruitment success, and we look forward to continuing this valuable partnership'

Jason Cooper

CEO of Envirosuite
(ASX:EVS) a $100M Environmental Modelling Platform

'Based on my experiences, Perpetuate, under Stephen's guidance, has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to match and deliver talent that aligns well with Deckard's needs and culture.

The quality of candidates presented has been impressive, often leaving me spoilt for choice. Almost every candidate seems to bring unique value to the team, fitting more into a 'yes' or 'not yet' rather than a 'no', indicating a deep understanding of our specific requirements.

Stephen's professionalism, marked by his promptness, flexibility, and supportive approach, has significantly contributed to this success, making Perpetuate a highly recommendable partner for recruitment services.'

Jessica Flanagan

Co-Founder & CTO of Deckard
(ex-Qualcomm)

What impressed me the most was Stephen’s ability to understand exactly the type of people I was looking for, and he made the recruitment process very easy presenting only well-suited candidates, whether I was after niche specialists or more common roles.

Stephen also has a great network, which makes recruitment a much quicker process than I would normally expect. In some instances it took just 1 week from the first conversation with Stephen and till an offer was made to a successful candidate.

I highly recommend Stephen to anyone who wants to find the right people for their organisations. Whichever company Stephen chooses to work for, he will be my first point of contact to find suitable candidates.

Elena Chirich

Director, MINIBOSS Business Scool

I've worked with Stephen both as a candidate looking for a position and when expanding my teams and in both scenarios Stephen proved to be extremely in touch with the state of the industry and very honest in his dealings.

He has a great sense of the level of candidates and their potential fit and as a result I've had only compelling candidates referred to me that all brought real skills to the table.

Even when the market has been sparing Stephen has managed to find candidates that match our requirements. He is one of the few recruiters in the software industry who I will immediately recommend to both job seekers and employers.

Christopher Mckay

Senior Engineer, Zapier

I have had the pleasure of working with Stephen in multiple capacities. The first time was as a people manager on an e-commerce team looking to add new developers. As a hiring manager, I found Stephen to be detail-oriented, mindful, responsive, and flexible. There was a tricky incident where a hire left just after their backfill warranty period, but Stephen was very understanding and continued to honor the spirit of the agreement.

Stephen is one of the few recruiters I have kept in touch with over the years, and he is always my first contact when I want to know about the job market, either as a hiring manager or as a candidate. I trust Stephen to give me a knowledgeable and candid view of the market and provide pertinent advice. Therefore, I highly recommend Stephen to anyone hiring or seeking new opportunities.

Paul Chiu

Engineering Lead, Mr Yum

If there was a Harry Potter in the talent world, it's Steve. He is an absolute wizard in understanding your business, who you are, and ultimately, what you need.

The A-class candidates that he puts forward are next to none that I have ever seen before. It may seem like a waving of a wand to us, but I am sure it is down to some hard work, diligence, and smarts (this guy has it in droves).

Steve sticks with you the whole way through the candidates' journey, being transparent and communicating often and frequently. I can't recommend him enough.

Demelza Green

Co-CEO, Patient Zero

Stephen is an outstanding professional and incredibly ambitious individual who I would relish the opportunity to work with whenever possible.

He has sourced many great candidates and continues to deliver incredible talent to our fast growing business.

Without his professionalism, expertise and persistence I know we would not be where we are today without him.

Leigh Appel

CTO & Co-Founder, Safesite

Our Thesis

Our Rationale is predicated on the belief that genuine A-Grade, World Class DeepTech (& peripheral-to-deep-tech) Talent is exceptionally rare. The demand (v supply) curve for high pedigree, high talent Engineers, Innovators + Scientists is more other asymmetrically amplified compared to most knowledge worker professions. 

‘They’ can afford to be super selective when choosing their next employer.   

‘We don’t choose to advertise any of our open portfolio roles in public. Ever. Because we aim to win you un-winnable talent, elsewhere. We strongly believe the best (usually) need to be won proactively, not reactively.

Active Job Seekers will become increasingly easier to access. Because of the convergence:

Highly-skilled internal hiring teams

The (insane) momentum of artificial intelligence technology

Traditional agency recruitment, will very easily help identify + source [active] job seekers. Providing access to the same talent you can access yourself - is the direct opposite of our North Star + Purpose.

“People are Power Law, too.”

Sam Hinkie

87 Capital

“One of the best ways of acquiring high calibre talent, is if you already have it.”

Paul Graham

Y-Combinator

Our North Star.

Our Purpose is to deliver Better and Different Talent, at warp speed. We want to amplify Australian A-Grade Product Innovators, Engineers, Scientists and Designers onto the global stage.

Who We’re For

By definition of our Craft + Precision orientation, we’re not for everyone. In fact we pride ourselves on Fewer, but Deeper Customer relationships.

We only work with DeepTech + HighTech native** customers.

We hire at the Senior or Principal Individual Contributor (IC) Level AND Leadership / Executive Levels, only.

Pay above average, to top quartile ($) compensation range. How much you pay – is Signal. Arguably, the most immutable, Signal.

‘Companies won’t be able to overpay for underperforming talent, or underpay overpforming talent.’

Chamath Palihapitiya

Social Capital (2022 Annual Letter)

Genuinely, Product & Tech-native. In simple English, we strongly prefer our Founder Team or CEO – to be ex-Engineers, or Scientists or ‘sophisticated’ Product folk. We work with The Ideators, the Innovators and The Builders.

‘Empowered Engineers are the single most important important thing you can have in a Product Company.’

Bill Campbell

The 'Coach of Silicon Valley'

Is the company's mission purposeful? Is the ‘problem space interesting enough to attract A’s. (A’s are always already-engaged, and likely pretty comfortable). Will us Pitching (your company) be enticing enough to win their attentional initially, and ultimately their feet.

‘Our industry does not respect tradition - it only respects innovation.’

Satya Nadella

CEO, Microsoft

Our aim is to achieve 100% successful close of every assignment. We prioritise and double down on two-way diligence (sophisticatedly vetting the Customer-side as much, or even more, as the Talent-side).

How we source

Our special sauce is our sourcing system.

We won’t give away all our secrets. What we’ll say - is that there’s ultimate conviction and regular feedback looping - that it works.  

Every interaction we curate is predicated on Signal, Pattern and the Concentric Circle ‘Power Law’. Every evaluation we make, is based on data.

We trade-off ‘small talk’

We acknowledge relationships make the world better. We care about relationships, a lot.

AND we understand that our customers (from both sides) care (a lot) more about our ability to deliver BETTER, FASTER and more PRECISE outcomes. Not, what we did on the weekend.

Some of the World's Best VCs + Incubator(s) bet on Our Customers

plus more

What our Founders are saying

“Over the past few years Stephen has helped myself and One Model scale our development team, and has been provided many excellent candidates that have been key hires for us.   

I have also referred a colleague, who had only ever been critical of recruiters, to Stephen as a candidate and they were impressed and only had positive things to say. I'd happily recommend Stephen to any business, or candidate looking for a recruiter.”