Join us as Ash Straughn, founder of SAM, shares how a career built across JP Morgan, Postmates, and Cody shaped her into one of the most operationally sharp founders in today’s startup ecosystem. What began with discovering she didn’t belong inside massive institutions evolved into mastering complex logistics, scaling operations at breakneck speed, and now building an AI-powered hiring platform designed specifically for startups.

In this episode, Ash opens up about the pivotal experiences that trained her to think in systems, move fast without breaking the wrong things, and build trust inside both fast-moving teams and highly regulated environments. She explains the unexpected story behind Cody’s pandemic pivot, how she negotiated flexible commercial contracts that later attracted Andreessen Horowitz, and why SAM is deliberately focused on mid-level, execution-ready talent rather than senior executives. Ash also breaks down how AI changes hiring—from both the candidate and employer side—and what early traction taught her about precision matching, decision velocity, and building a truly defensible product in a crowded market.

🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTS

THE OPERATOR ORIGIN STORY

How JP Morgan taught Ash scale discipline, and Postmates taught her speed, adaptability, and Murphy’s Law problem-solving.

THE CODY PIVOT

The inside story of transforming a pandemic-hit startup into a rapidly scaling commercial-space platform that later caught the attention of a16z.

THE BIRTH OF SAM

Why fractional, mid-level, startup-trained talent is the missing layer in today’s hiring market—and how SAM matches and places roles in just five days.

AI, HIRING & THE FUTURE OF WORK

How SAM’s AI evaluates skills, weighs attributes, integrates references, and filters through the avalanche of AI-generated resumes.

FRACTIONAL TALENT AS A SUPERPOWER

Why part-time, plug-and-play operators are the secret weapon early-stage founders need—and why traditional hiring models can’t keep up.

FUNDRAISING & TRACTION

Ash shares how SAM crossed early ARR milestones, closed multi-role clients, and chose the right moment to raise their first round.

🌐 RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn more about SAM: launchsam.com

Connect with Ash on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashstraughn/

Podcast Website: foundersecretspod.com

🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: foundersecretspod

LinkedIn: founder-secrets-podcast

🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyer

Spotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8

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