We're a little over a week post-launch, and the response has been incredible.
Engineering and product leaders from well-funded startups across every stage have created anonymous Qwestly Cards -- from Series A companies scaling fast to established names like Stripe, Google, and Airbnb. None are actively job searching. All told us they'd never explore publicly, but anonymously? They're in.
Below, we address the problems Qwestly is solving in the career marketplace and top questions we've received from companies in the past week. Please take a look, and feel free to reach out if you want to learn more. We'd love to chat: mikelle@qwestly.com
If you're a candidate interested in connecting with top companies, please request your invite.
Qwestly is addressing a huge hiring problem
At Qwestly, we're tackling one of the biggest challenges hiring managers face: the best candidates for your roles often aren't on the active job market.
Many top professionals are thriving where they are. They're hitting goals, earning promotions, and doing great work. But they're also quietly open to the right opportunity. The problem? They can't explore what's out there without risk and without wading through an endless stream of recruiter spam.
The talent you need exists. You just can't reach them yet.
Questions hiring managers are asking
Q: How does Qwestly work?
A: Here's how it works
- Candidates have a casual conversation with Qwestly's AI to create their Qwestly Card. This anonymous profile showcases the candidate's measurable results, leadership style, career goals, and ideal work environment.
- The anonymized Qwestly Card is shared with vetted companies matching their criteria.
- When a hiring leader sees strong alignment, they can reach out directly to connect and explore fit.
- The candidate is presented with the company. If the candidate is interested, they can reveal their identity to the hiring manager to start the conversation.
Q: How do I know candidates are strong if I can't see their names or previous employers?
A: Qwestly is a carefully curated network of professionals. If candidates are on the platform, it's because we believe in their ability to be meaningful contributors. Additionally, in the Qwestly Card creation, we extract the signals that matter: measurable outcomes, leadership competencies, and what they've actually built. You'll see their experience and impact, just not their identity.
For example: "Scaled engineering org from 15 to 75 over 1.5 years, led microservices migration that reduced deploy time by 60%, managed $8M budget." This tells you more than a logo.
Q: What if I reach out and they're not interested?
A: We only surface candidates who align with your company's criteria. Once you express interest, the candidate sees your company name before deciding whether to reveal their identity. If they do, it's because they're genuinely interested.
Q: How do I access profiles?
A: To get started, just email adam@qwestly.com with:
- The roles you're hiring for
- What "great" looks like in those roles
- Any companies you'd like excluded
Or if you want to talk it through, grab time here.
Then it's simple. We'll start sending matches.
Q: What's the time commitment?
A: Very minimal. Review profiles via email (about three minutes each). If you're interested, reply "yes." We'll confirm with the candidate and schedule a casual 30-minute conversation. For just a few minutes a week, you're getting direct connections to some of the best talent in the country.
Q: Is this only for open roles, or can I explore even if I'm not hiring yet?
A: Both. One beta partner told us:
"I don't have an opening, but I want to talk to a few heads of product to triangulate what I'm actually looking for."
That's exactly what Qwestly enables. You can build relationships proactively, understand what great looks like in the market, and when you're ready to hire, you already know who you want.
Q: What if candidates are exploring but not serious about leaving?
A: Candidates reveal their identity and choose to connect only when they're genuinely interested in your company or role. Of course, some may decide after a conversation that the timing or fit isn't right, and that's okay. Qwestly is built around the passive search mindset, helping companies and professionals explore alignment early so the right long-term fit emerges naturally, not reactively.
Q: How is Qwestly different from LinkedIn or other recruiting tools?
A: LinkedIn is public, and that's the problem. You can't explore opportunities there without signaling that you're looking, and most experienced professionals won't respond to cold outreach because they get too much of it.
Qwestly is private. Candidates stay anonymous until they choose to connect. They see your company first and only engage when it's genuinely relevant. This isn't another mass outreach tool. Qwestly provides direct matches with exceptional talent you'd never reach through LinkedIn or job boards.
Q: What roles and levels does Qwestly cover?
A: Today, Qwestly is invite-only for engineering, product, and UX leaders looking to connect with their next opportunities. We're starting in the San Francisco market and expanding from there.