What do a:

Founder of a Growth Equity Firm, Former SEAL Lieutenant Commander now in PE, Director of Property Management, Marketing Agency Owner, Founder of a Lead Gen Agency, Ops Director at a “Main Street” Moving Company, and a 3,000,000 sq ft Self Storage Developer

... all have in common?

They joined Sagan Passport this week. 

Would love if you checked us out.

I’ve been picking fights on Twitter.

With who?

Promoters of thinly veiled “Staffing Markup Agencies”.

Their model is simple.

Take someone overseas who costs $800 a month full time.

Pull together some flashy marketing, partner with an influencer, and sell those people to low information American business owners at $3,000 a month.

This is not a managed service (where you can hold THEIR company accountable for outputs… a better but harder model) but a staffing markup model where they are only responsible for the person and not any sort of results.

Jon’s First Target (now blocked): Clipt.co

One of the cofounders (he has a large Youtube channel) was trying to talk about their “secret recruiting sauce”.

I found their onlinejobs.ph profile (a low cost job site, where you should just DIY hire)

Jon’s Second Target (now blocked): Landed

One of their cofounders (along with Sahil Bloom, a large influencer) wrote this:

I responded with this ( You can’t see his tweet because he subsequently blocked me).

I’m sure these are both wonderful guys - and I’d get a beer and talk shop with them, and have a few laughs.

But if they choose to “build in public” and promote their jello soft value propositions… I’m going to look for every way to (legally) break them in half and put them out of business.

It’s a silly influencer fueled money grab (nothing wrong with that, but let’s call it what it is), that only works on low information buyers (of which, there are many!).

While there is absolutely room for making a price point like this work… it doesn’t look or feel like this at all.

So, with no further adieu…

A Few Questions the Influencer Fueled Staffing Markup Agency Doesn't Want You to Ask: 

Exact Fee Breakdown:

- Could you list exactly what we pay for each month?

- How much of this money goes straight to the worker, and how much do you keep?

Clear Reasons for High Fees: You ask for a lot more money than what the worker gets.

- Can you explain exactly what we get for this extra cost? Please only include things that directly help us, not your overhead.

Direct Hire Terms: 

- If we choose to hire the worker directly, what rules and costs are involved?

- Please give us the specific amounts and any rules we should know about.

Training Programs Details: 

- What type of training do you provide to the workers? Not account management to

- How often does this training happen and how does it help them do a better job on our projects?

Compliance Services Explanation: You say you "handle legal stuff and contracts".

- Since you hire them as contractors, why shouldn’t we just use a service like Deel to pay them directly like you do?

- What specific legal or compliance help do you actually offer that makes it worth going through you?

Outputs:

Are you responsible for the quality of the worker's work?

Can I hold you accountable?

———————

The truth is, that they are relying on buyers NOT to ask these questions.

There are SO SO SO many ways to make money in global talent, and this is NOT one of them.

Be better.

Yallah Habibi,

Jon

Passage of the Week, from Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”:

"If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected."