TechCrunch+ roundup: 3 key hiring metrics, building SDR teams, insurtech investor survey

The cost of recruiting, training, and onboarding a new employee who turns out to be a poor fit can be as much as 50% of that person’s first year salary.

According to Anastasiia Kuzmenko, Head of Talent Acquisition at Flyer One Ventures, “The biggest difference between hiring in a healthy economy and hiring today is that there is no room for error.”

Hiring the wrong people can lead to a string of failures in your early stage startup. As such, she recommends that founders focus on her three key metrics to “adopt a more data-driven approach.”

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• cost per hire
• time to hire
• Turnover

In her article, Kuzmenko shares formulas for calculating each metric, sets benchmarks, and shares tactical advice for helping managers keep employee morale up.

thank you for reading,

Walter Thompson
Editorial Manager, TechCrunch+
@yourprotagonist

How to Build a Sales Developer Strategy That Fills the B2B Pipeline

The marketing team deserves credit for creating an innovative campaign that breaks through the noise. It takes real skill to persuade someone to try a new product or service.

In reality, however, sales development representatives (SDRs) do most of the work required to acquire new customers.

It takes “about 15 touches for a prospect to want to see a demo,” so Tong created the TC+ guide for CEOs who need guidance on recruiting and incentives for SDR teams.

“Generating a pipeline in an early stage company is often more expensive and time consuming than the sales process itself. That’s it.”

AI companies are oozing into YC’s winter class

In a move reminiscent of chain restaurant servers ordered to wear flare pins, 34% of Y Combinator’s newest class of fledgling startups said, “They are AI companies or use AI in some way. I am doing.” Rebecca Szkutak reports.

“You can’t blame YC companies for their AI leanings,” she wrote. “If you see VCs pouring dollars into technology like AI that you can implement in your own business in a tighter funding market, why not?”

6 Why Embedded Insurance Isn’t the Only Promising Opportunity in InsurTech, Explained by VCs

Now that consumers can hedge all their bets, from canceled flights to lost new phones, embedded insurance has a golden opportunity.

Still, several VCs working in the space told Anna Helm that other insurtech startups could enter if they could “build a sustainable business model.”

For our latest investor survey, she asks upcoming investors where the sector is headed, whether ChatGPT could impact the industry, and Apple’s potential for health insurance. I asked them about how these forays shape their thinking.

• Florian Graillot, Founding Partner of astorya.vc
• Hélène Falcier, Partner, Portage
• Stephen Britten and Robert Lumley, Director and Co-Founder, Insurtech Gateway
• Nina Meyer, Principal, Early Bird
• David Wechsler, Insurtech Principal Investor, OMERS Ventures

Pitch Deck Teardown: Northspyre’s $25M Series B Deck

Last month, proptech startup Northspyre raised $25 million in Series B funding led by Charles River Ventures.

The company that helps developers manage commercial real estate projects has shared its winning pitch deck with Haje Jan Kamps after “removing some of the most financially sensitive slides.”

• cover slide
• problem slide 1
• problem slide 2
• product slide
• market size slide
• Solution slide
• value proposition slide
• KPI slides (marked as “financial” slides)
• “Question” slide
• team slide
• user voice slides
• Funding history slide
• Thank you and contact slides

Ask Sophie: What if I am selected/not selected in the H-1B lottery?

Dear Sophie

After trying 3 times, I won this year’s H-1B lottery! what’s next?

— mysterious winner

Dear Sophie

I have a STEM OPT. My employer told me that this year he won the H-1B lottery three times and never won again!What do I do?

— Lottery Loser