Mission One: The Executive Edge

In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton are joined by David Gardner, a General Partner at London Venture Partners, who opens up about the lessons that shaped his four-decade career, from joining EA at just 17 years old to navigating a public company turnaround during the 2008 financial crisis.

What You’ll Learn

• How to fire your highest performer without destroying trust
• Why failure is your greatest accelerator for growth
• How to spot founders with grit over charisma
• The evolution from CEO urgency to board-level risk governance
• Why transparency without wisdom is dangerous

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This episode is brought to you by Mission One, an executive search and advisory firm helping leadership teams make high-stakes hires with clarity, precision and long-term impact.

To learn more about how we support senior hiring beyond the podcast, visit our website (https://missionone.io/) and connect with us.

FAQs

Q: What was the biggest lesson David learned from his time as CEO of Atari?
A: You can’t apply a big-company playbook to a turnaround. David argues he should have split his team: one group to fight the fire, another to build the future, instead of getting stuck in the old problems.

Q: How does David  think about hiring and firing as a leader?
A: Everyone has talent. The question is whether it matches the task. And don’t be afraid to fire for values, even your top performer, because everyone in the organization is watching what you tolerate.

Q: What does David look for when evaluating founders as an investor?
A: Honesty and speed. The best founders, like the Supercell team, are straight shooters who listen to the data and kill what isn’t working instead of clinging to it.

Q: How should aspiring executives think about taking career risks?
A: Take the risk, but prepare for it. Train your brain to respond to crises with a plan rather than panic. That’s the difference between growth and disaster.

Q: What role should a board play in protecting a company's culture?
A: Protect the creative culture that actually drives success and make sure the right people are in the right roles. Without that, companies stop innovating and die.

Episode Resources:

• David Gardner on LinkedIn
• London Venture Partners Website
• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton welcome back Nick Button-Brown, Chair of the UK Video Games Council, to unpack what it really takes to serve as a board adviser or non-executive director, especially at early-stage startups.

What You’ll Learn

• How to shift from “I know the answer” to “here's one perspective”
• When to stay silent and when to be the voice challenging assumptions
• Why you should never accept executive action items as a board member
• The three core expertise areas that qualify you for board roles
• How to assess cultural fit when selecting board members or advisors

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This episode is brought to you by Mission One, an executive search and advisory firm helping leadership teams make high-stakes hires with clarity, precision and long-term impact.

To learn more about how we support senior hiring beyond the podcast, visit our website (https://missionone.io/) and connect with us.

FAQs

Q: How much equity should a startup adviser expect?
A: Around 0.5% of share capital for a pure early-stage startup where there’s no cash compensation. Once a company has raised £10M+, a director's fee for your time is more appropriate.

Q: What's the biggest mistake new advisers make?
A: Taking on action items. The moment you own a task, you become the bottleneck. Your job is to review, guide, and give frameworks. The founders execute. If you leave a board meeting with a to-do, something went wrong.

Q: How do you give a founder tough feedback without destroying their confidence?
A: Use the 5-to-1 ratio: five positives for every negative. When you do need to challenge something, don’t declare it wrong. Ask questions instead. If they can't explain it after several attempts, they'll usually reach the conclusion themselves.

Q: When should a startup formalize its board?
A: When you take your first institutional money. Angel round? A casual advisory setup is fine. But the moment VC money comes in, you need proper records, formal decision-making, and a small board.

Q: What's the best way to break into board work?
A: Angel investing. Put a small check into a company in a space you’re curious about, then show up and be useful. Over 12 months, you'll build a real relationship with the founders, learn the sector, and naturally earn the conversation about a formal role.

Episode Resources:

• Nick Button-Brown on LinkedIn
• UK Video Games Council Website
• The Games Angels Website
• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

How do you actually land your first board seat? In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton are joined by Nick Button-Brown, Chair of the UK Video Games Council, to detail the path from executive to board director.

What You’ll Learn

• Why your first board seat is brutally hard and how to get it anyway
• The mental shift from executive decision-maker to strategic advisor
• How to match your skills to company needs at the right time
• The compensation spectrum from startup equity to six-figure director fees
• How to build a portfolio that maximizes impact without burning out

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This episode is brought to you by Mission One, an executive search and advisory firm helping leadership teams make high-stakes hires with clarity, precision and long-term impact.

To learn more about how we support senior hiring beyond the podcast, visit our website (https://missionone.io/) and connect with us.

FAQs

Q: How do I actually get my first board seat when no one will give a first-timer a chance?
A: Start with a charity trusteeship. School boards and small charities are always looking for volunteers, and the governance experience maps directly onto company director work. The first seat is the hardest. By the fifth, it becomes almost routine.

Q: What's the real difference between being an executive and being a board member?
A: Control. As an executive, you can fix things yourself. As a board member, you can only advise. Sometimes the founder will ignore you entirely, and you have to be okay with that.

Q: How much do board members actually get paid?
A: At startups, usually just a small equity stake. At PE-backed companies, non-executive director fees typically run $25K-$75K per year for roughly half a day to a day per month.

Q: What makes someone a genuinely good early-stage board member?
A: The best ones don’t hand founders answers. They share their own wrong answers and help founders learn to decide for themselves. If you’ve made yourself redundant in five years, you’ve done the job well.

Q: How much time does a board role actually take, and can I do it alongside a full-time job?
A: Plan for roughly half a day to a day per month for a formal non-executive role, and less for a charity trusteeship, which is exactly why trustee work is the easiest way to start while still employed full-time.

Episode Resources:

• Nick Button-Brown on LinkedIn
• UK Video Games Council Website
• The Games Angels Website
• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

AI is changing how executives work, hire, and lead. However, not always in the ways people assume. In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton share what they’re hearing from senior leaders about AI, recruiting, and the future of executive work.

What You’ll Learn

• How AI is reshaping executive work and why leaders can no longer rely on “traditional” ways of operating
• What separates AI-native executives from the rest
• Why using ChatGPT casually isn’t enough anymore and what real AI adoption looks like for senior leaders
• How AI is actually being used in recruiting today across sourcing, outreach, and executive hiring workflows
• The role of human judgment in an AI-driven world and why it remains the ultimate differentiator at the executive level
• What the future of executive teams looks like as leaders become more tactical, AI-enabled, and closer to the product

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This episode is brought to you by Mission One, an executive search and advisory firm helping leadership teams make high-stakes hires with clarity, precision and long-term impact.

To learn more about how we support senior hiring beyond the podcast, visit our website (https://missionone.io/) and connect with us.

FAQs

Q: How is AI impacting executive hiring?
A: AI is improving parts of the hiring process, such as candidate sourcing, outreach, and interview note-taking. However, at the executive level, hiring still depends heavily on conversations, references, and proven track records rather than automation.

Q: Will AI replace executives?
A: AI is not replacing executives, but it is changing the skills required to succeed. Leaders who understand how to use AI effectively will have a competitive advantage over those who don’t.

Q: What does “traditional work” mean in the context of AI?
A: “Traditional work” refers to roles and workflows that do not use AI tools. As AI adoption grows, work that doesn’t leverage AI may become less efficient and less competitive.

Q: What skills do executives need in the AI era?
A: Executives need a mix of domain expertise, strategic thinking, AI literacy, the ability to build or experiment with AI tools, and strong judgment and decision-making. The ability to combine human insight with AI capabilities is becoming critical.

Q: Should candidates use AI during the hiring process?
A: It depends on the company. Many organizations allow AI for case studies or preparation, but candidates are expected to demonstrate their own thinking, judgment, and understanding during interviews.

Q: Can AI improve interview performance?
A: Yes. AI can help analyze interview transcripts, identify patterns, and provide feedback on questioning style and candidate evaluation. This can help interviewers improve over time.

Q: What is the future of AI in executive search?
A: AI will likely enhance data analysis, candidate matching, and interview insights. However, executive search will continue to rely on human relationships, trust, and nuanced evaluation.

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton unpack one of the most misunderstood aspects of executive hiring: compensation negotiation.

Despite its importance, many senior leaders approach compensation conversations without a clear strategy. Some avoid discussing money until the final stages, while others anchor too early and limit their potential upside. Gerard and Dan explain why both approaches can create friction and how thoughtful preparation changes the entire dynamic of the negotiation.

The conversation begins with market research. Before entering any negotiation, candidates need to understand their market value through compensation reports, recruiter insight, and conversations with trusted industry contacts. This is particularly important when moving into new sectors, such as AI or high-growth startups, where compensation structures and equity dynamics can differ dramatically from traditional corporate roles.

Gerard and Dan also discuss the delicate balance between transparency and leverage. Candidates do not need to disclose their current salary, but sharing a well-researched range can help anchor the conversation productively and prevent wasted time. In many cases, early clarity allows both sides to determine whether alignment is possible before investing weeks in interviews.

A major theme of the episode is the importance of understanding the structure of compensation, not just the headline number. Executive packages often include equity, performance bonuses, and long-term incentives that can vary significantly depending on company's stage and geography. Gerard and Dan encourage candidates to model different scenarios - good exit, base case, and downside, to understand the real value of an offer.

Finally, the hosts highlight the “prepared to walk away” rule that protects both sides. If a candidate counters and the company meets their request, backing out afterward damages trust and credibility. Similarly, if the offer truly doesn’t work, declining cleanly preserves relationships for future opportunities.

For executives navigating career moves and hiring leaders structuring competitive offers, this episode offers a clear framework for approaching compensation conversations with professionalism, transparency, and strategic intent.

What You’ll Learn

• How to research your market value before entering compensation negotiations
• Why sharing salary expectations strategically can prevent wasted time
• How compensation structures differ between startups, scale-ups, and large corporations
• What questions to ask about equity, vesting, and bonus structures before accepting an offer
• Why modeling good, base, and downside scenarios helps clarify the real value of equity
• The right way to structure a counter-offer without damaging trust
• Why consolidating negotiation points into a single conversation builds credibility
• The signals candidates send during negotiation and how they shape the future working relationship
• Why the “prepared to walk away” rule is critical when negotiating executive compensation

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This episode is brought to you by Mission One, an executive search and advisory firm helping leadership teams make high-stakes hires with clarity, precision and long-term impact.

To learn more about how we support senior hiring beyond the podcast, visit our website (https://missionone.io/) and connect with us.

FAQs
Q: Why is it important to know your market value before entering a compensation negotiation?
A: Because negotiation becomes much easier when you understand what similar roles pay across your industry and stage of company. Dan and Gerard emphasize gathering multiple data points from peers, recruiters, compensation reports, and venture-backed benchmarks before you ever enter a process. Without that context, candidates risk anchoring on the wrong expectations or underselling themselves in the market.

Q: Should candidates reveal their current compensation during a hiring process?
A: Not necessarily. Candidates are not obligated to disclose their current compensation, and in some places it is even illegal for employers to ask. However, sharing some context around expectations, ranges, or structural preferences can help avoid wasting time later in the process. The key is balancing transparency with strategy so both sides know they are operating within a realistic range.

Q: What should you do if your compensation needs are outside the typical market range?
A: It’s best to disclose that early in the process. If you require unusually high cash compensation or special terms due to personal circumstances, relocation, or financial commitments, sharing that upfront prevents both sides from investing time in a process that cannot ultimately work. Early transparency allows companies to assess whether they can structure an offer that meets your needs.

Q: Why is understanding the structure of an offer just as important as the headline number?
A: Because many offers, especially at startups or high-growth companies, contain multiple components such as base salary, bonuses, equity, and long-term incentives. Gerard highlights that the real value often lies in the details of how these components work together. Candidates should ask to speak with someone who understands the mechanics of the offer and walk through scenarios to understand potential outcomes.

Q: How long should candidates take to respond to an offer?
A: Taking a few days to evaluate an offer is completely reasonable, especially if you want to consult mentors or family. However, candidates should generally avoid taking longer than about a week without communicating clearly. Going silent can signal disinterest or suggest that you’re leveraging the offer elsewhere, which can weaken trust before the working relationship even begins.

Q: What is the best way to negotiate if the offer is lower than expected?
A: Approach the conversation with honesty and a collaborative tone. Instead of framing it as confrontation, explain why the offer doesn’t meet your expectations and what would make the decision easier. Express genuine interest in the role while outlining the adjustments needed for you to feel confident joining. This keeps the conversation constructive and focused on reaching a mutually beneficial outcome.

Q: What is the most important rule when making a counteroffer request?
A: Only counter if you are prepared to accept the role if your request is granted. Dan stresses that when candidates ask for changes, companies often spend internal capital securing approval from leadership or compensation committees. If the company delivers what you asked for and you still walk away, it damages trust and can burn important professional bridges.

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton explore one of the most consequential hires a mobile gaming company can make: a world-class product leader.

Unlike many roles in tech, the product function in gaming sits at the intersection of game design, data science, live operations, and monetization strategy. The right product leader can turn a struggling title into a breakout success or build the foundation for a billion-dollar franchise. The wrong hire, however, can stall a studio’s momentum and derail entire product roadmaps.

Gerard and Dan begin by unpacking how the product discipline in gaming evolved. Modern gaming product leadership grew out of the social gaming era and the rise of free-to-play mobile titles, creating a hybrid role that blends creative instincts with analytical rigor. The result is a highly specialized talent pool that has only existed for the past 15–20 years.

One of the central challenges in hiring for this role is distinguishing between executives who truly drove a game’s success and those who were simply along for the ride. Gerard describes the difference as identifying “needle-movers” versus “passengers.” A leader associated with a hit game isn’t necessarily the person responsible for its growth. Understanding who actually influenced retention, monetization, and long-term player engagement requires deep network intelligence, back-channel references, and careful analysis of the game’s lifecycle.

Gerard and Dan also highlight the importance of evaluating impact beyond surface-level metrics like rapid growth. In some cases, the strongest product leaders are those who stabilized struggling titles or successfully managed games through difficult transitions. Turning a declining product into a stable one can demonstrate strategic discipline, operational clarity, and resilience - qualities that are just as valuable as explosive growth.

For gaming founders, studio executives, and hiring leaders building high-performing product teams, this episode offers a candid look at the realities of recruiting in one of the most specialized talent markets in tech.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the product leader role has become the most critical hire in modern mobile gaming studios
• How to distinguish between “passengers” and true “needle-movers” behind successful games
• Why the global mobile gaming talent pool extends far beyond Silicon Valley
• The major international hubs where elite gaming product leaders actually operate
• How to evaluate real product impact beyond simple growth metrics or headline success stories
• Why turnaround and stabilization experience can be as valuable as hypergrowth
• How the product function in gaming differs from traditional tech product management
• Why exceptional product leaders in gaming are so rare and how that scarcity changes hiring strategy
• What companies should be willing to flex on to secure generational product talent

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

This episode is brought to you by Mission One, an executive search and advisory firm helping leadership teams make high-stakes hires with clarity, precision and long-term impact.
To learn more about how we support senior hiring beyond the podcast, visit our website (https://missionone.io/) and connect with us.

FAQs

Q: Why is hiring a product leader one of the most critical decisions a mobile gaming company can make?
A: Because product leadership sits at the center of how a game actually succeeds. In mobile gaming, the product function blends game design, data science, live operations, and monetization strategy. The right leader can transform a struggling title into a breakout hit or scale a promising concept into a global franchise. The wrong hire, however, can stall product momentum and misdirect an entire roadmap.

Q: What makes product leadership in gaming different from traditional tech product roles?
A: Gaming product leaders operate in a hybrid discipline. Unlike traditional SaaS product management, gaming product leaders must balance creative judgment with deep analytical thinking. They’re responsible for understanding player behavior, retention curves, monetization mechanics, and live game economies, while also collaborating closely with designers, engineers, and marketing teams to shape the player experience.

Q: What does it mean to identify “needle-movers” versus “passengers” in gaming leadership?
A: Many executives are associated with successful games, but not all of them actually drove the success. “Needle-movers” are leaders who directly influenced key outcomes such as retention, monetization, and long-term engagement. “Passengers,” on the other hand, were present during a successful run but may not have been responsible for the growth. Distinguishing between the two requires careful analysis of a game’s lifecycle, deep industry references, and strong network intelligence.

Q: Why can rapid growth metrics be misleading when evaluating product leaders?
A: Hypergrowth often reflects timing, market dynamics, or a strong underlying concept rather than individual leadership impact. Some of the most capable product leaders demonstrate their value by stabilizing declining games, improving retention, or managing complex transitions. Those achievements reveal strategic discipline, operational clarity, and resilience that raw growth metrics may overlook.

Q: Where are the world’s top mobile gaming product leaders actually based?
A: The talent pool is far more global than many companies assume. While Silicon Valley remains influential, many of the best gaming product leaders operate in international hubs across Europe and Asia where major mobile studios have grown. Companies that restrict their search geographically often miss a significant portion of the available talent.

Q: Why are exceptional gaming product leaders so rare?
A: The role itself is relatively young. Modern gaming product leadership emerged during the rise of social gaming and free-to-play mobile titles roughly 15–20 years ago. Because the discipline is so specialized and still evolving, the number of leaders who have repeatedly built, scaled, and operated successful live games remains very small.

Q: What should companies be willing to flex on to secure top product talent?
A: Companies often need to be flexible on structure, scope, or compensation to secure truly elite leaders. When a product executive has demonstrated the ability to materially influence the success of major titles, the upside they create can far outweigh the cost of the hire. The key is recognizing generational talent early and moving decisively when you find it.

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Most executive hires don’t fail in the interview process.

They fail in the final stretch when references, compensation, or onboarding are mishandled.

In this episode, Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton break down the last 10% of the hiring process that determines whether your top candidate signs… or disappears.

Who this episode is for

• Founders hiring their first senior leader
• CEOs replacing a key executive
• VPs building out leadership teams

What You’ll Learn

• How to conduct back-channel referencing without torpedoing your offer
• Why formal references are only half the story and how to get the full story
• The compensation conversation framework that prevents offer rejection
• How to structure an offer call that doesn't backfire
• The supply-and-demand principle to get executive compensation right
• The pre-start period as your secret weapon for retention

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Mission One: The Executive Edge is brought to you by Mission One. They ensure founders and senior leaders make the most important hires they’ll ever make across consumer tech, AI, gaming, and entertainment.

If you’re building your leadership team or considering your next move to the C-suite, connect with Gerard Miles or Dan Hampton on LinkedIn, or visit missionone.io/contact-us.

FAQs:

1. What is the purpose of referencing in an executive hiring process?
Referencing validates your instincts, confirms the candidate’s real impact and uncovers red (or yellow) flags. It’s a critical final lens before making an offer.

2. What’s the difference between formal and back-channel references?
Formal references are provided by the candidate; back-channel references involve discreet outreach to mutual contacts not on their list. Remember, both must be handled  VERY carefully and confidentially.

3. What are common mistakes to avoid when back-channel referencing?
Never contact someone at the candidate’s current employer without their express permission. Mishandling confidentiality can damage trust and completely jeopardize the hire.

4. How should compensation expectations be handled with executive candidates?
Discuss expectations early and understand what they truly value - cash, equity or flexibility. Top-tier talent often commands premium compensation, so be sure to have those conversations.

5. How should an executive offer be delivered?
Always present the offer verbally first, walk through the details clearly and then follow up immediately in writing. Keep the tone neutral and leave room for questions.

6. How can hiring managers support onboarding during long notice periods?
Maintain consistent communication, invite them into team interactions and assign a go-to contact. Early engagement prevents silence and accelerates day-one impact.

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

There’s a notion, today, that good talent is just too hard to find. But what if your hiring process is the problem? In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, hosts Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton dive deep into structuring an interview process that actually works.

What You’ll Learn

• How to structure your stakeholder involvement strategically and get the leadership buy-in you need
• The golden rule for avoiding internal sabotage
• Why speed and sophistication in the hiring period are the ultimate competitive advantage 
• How to eliminate redundancy and build interviewer alignment 
• The critical sell framework and how to use company opportunity as a lever 
• Why "don't let perfect be the enemy of good" should be your north star 

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Mission One: The Executive Edge is brought to you by Mission One. They ensure founders and senior leaders make the most important hires they’ll ever make across consumer tech, AI, gaming, and entertainment.
If you’re building your leadership team or considering your next move to the C-suite, connect with Gerard Miles or Dan Hampton on LinkedIn, or visit missionone.io/contact-us.

FAQs:

1. What’s the biggest hiring mistake a company can make?
The biggest mistake is letting "perfect" kill "good” - essentially, waiting for a perfect candidate can cause you to lose a solid fit, costing valuable time and talent

2. What is the ideal length for interviews in the hiring process?
First-round interviews should be at least one hour long to ensure sufficient time to assess both candidate fit and relationship building. Nothing meaningful happens in 30 minutes.

3. Repetitions can turn potential hires off. How can they be avoided in the hiring process, though?
Pre-interview alignment meetings with interviewers, clear role-specific focuses and shared scorecards can prevent repetitive questions and improve interview efficiency.

4. Is speed important in the hiring process; what if it becomes too rushed?
Speed is a competitive advantage; a slow process increases the risk of candidates accepting offers elsewhere. Aim to complete the hiring process within 2-3 weeks.

5. Is it important to switch up the company pitch per interviewee?
Absolutely, yes. Listen to what excites candidates about their next opportunity, and adapt your pitch based on their specific motivations - whether it's equity, career growth or company culture.

6. What is the best way to set up one’s interview structure for success?
Strategically involve stakeholders early, ensure alignment among interviewers and use a shared evaluation scorecard to maintain consistency throughout the hiring process.

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, hosts Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton dive into the research, targeting, and outreach phase of executive hiring - the point where many searches either gain momentum or quietly stall. Building on their prior discussion about kickoff alignment and scorecards, they argue that success at this stage depends less on effort and more on judgment, focus, and preparation.

Gerard and Dan walk through how to build a strategic target list that goes beyond obvious competitors. While direct peer companies are a natural starting point, they encourage leaders to think more creatively by identifying organizations facing similar challenges, operating at comparable scale, or solving adjacent problems. This broader lens often surfaces exceptional candidates who would never appear in a traditional competitor-only search.

They emphasize the importance of narrowing focus within each target company. Rather than reaching out to dozens of people with loosely matching titles, they advocate identifying five to ten individuals whose experience, timing, team context, and reporting structure genuinely align with the role. This disciplined filtering allows for deeper research and more credible outreach.

A central theme of the episode is personalization. Gerard and Dan explain why thoughtful, research-backed messages - ones that acknowledge a candidate’s career path, current context, and potential hesitation dramatically outperform generic or automated outreach.

The episode also tackles confidential searches, outlining how to maintain momentum without oversharing. By leading with a compelling high-level narrative about scale, growth, or impact, and building trust over time, hiring managers can engage strong candidates even when details are limited.

Ultimately, this conversation reframes sourcing as relationship-building rather than lead generation. The goal isn’t activity for its own sake - it’s creating a small, high-quality pipeline of executives who are genuinely worth engaging.

What You’ll Learn

• How to build strategic target lists by combining competitive intelligence with creative profile thinking
• Why narrowing your focus to a small number of highly relevant candidates increases response rates and quality
• How to personalize outreach in a way that feels human, credible, and respectful of a candidate’s context
• How to pressure-test your employer brand and address objections before candidates raise them
• How to approach confidential searches without losing candidate trust or engagement
• Why quality, response rate, and long-term relationships matter more than outreach volume or activity metrics

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Mission One: The Executive Edge is brought to you by Mission One. They ensure founders and senior leaders make the most important hires they’ll ever make across consumer tech, AI, gaming, and entertainment.

If you’re building your leadership team or considering your next move to the C-suite, connect with Gerard Miles or Dan Hampton on LinkedIn, or visit missionone.io/contact-us.

FAQs

Q: Where should hiring managers start when building a target list?
A: Start with competitors and adjacent companies solving the same problem. This grounds the search in reality. Once the obvious options are covered properly, you can expand creatively into adjacent industries facing similar challenges, but skipping the basics usually weakens credibility early.

Q: Why does quality outreach outperform high-volume messaging in executive hiring?
A: Because senior candidates are inundated with generic messages and quickly filter them out. Ten well-researched, thoughtful messages to the right people often generate more real conversations than hundreds of templated pings. At this level, relevance and credibility drive response, not persistence.

Q: What is the “Russian doll” approach to candidate targeting?
A: It’s a method of narrowing focus through multiple layers - company, time period, product, geography, team, and reporting line, until you identify the two to four individuals who actually drove meaningful outcomes. This prevents wasted effort on large lists where most candidates were peripheral to the success you want to replicate.

Q: Why does time period matter more than job title in executive searches?
A: Because leaders who solved a problem at the right stage are often more relevant than those holding senior titles today. Someone who built systems during a company’s early growth phase may be a far better fit than someone managing mature operations at scale.

Q: How should hiring teams think about outreach when candidates aren’t actively looking?
A: As relationship-building, not transaction-making. Today’s “not looking” executive may be tomorrow’s hire or your best referral. Thoughtful outreach that shows genuine understanding creates trust and keeps doors open long after a specific role is filled.

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that winning the C-suite game is all about telling a compelling story, understanding what you're actually solving for and learning to spot potential beyond the resume. In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, hosts Gerard and Dan reflect on their most impactful conversations from the year, joined by Alexis Bonte, CEO of Stillfront Group, and Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at the New York Times, for a breakdown of the executive hiring process from both sides of the table.

What You’ll Learn

• How to reshape a role before you start the hiring processhire
• Why comfort is your career killer and why growth should be your #1 priority 
• The power of storytelling that provides quantified context 
• How to ask the questions that make you unforgettable
• The 80/20 CEO rule that helps you design your role around maximum strategic value
• Why your network is your safety net, even when you’re employed
• How to conduct market research like a strategist
• The difference between contingent and retained recruiters and why it matters
• How to sniff out genuine collaboration versus corporate lip service
• Why instinct wins after the homework is done

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Mission One: The Executive Edge is brought to you by Mission One. They ensure founders and senior leaders make the most important hires they’ll ever make across consumer tech, AI, gaming, and entertainment.

If you’re building your leadership team or considering your next move to the C-suite, connect with Gerard Miles or Dan Hampton on LinkedIn, or visit missionone.io/contact-us.

FAQs

Q: Why does every executive search need to start with the problem, not the job description?
A: Because JDs and titles describe hierarchy, not outcomes. Starting with the real problem forces stakeholders to align on what the role must fix, build, or unlock. Without that clarity, scorecards drift, interviews become inconsistent and even strong hires struggle to succeed, while a well-defined problem shapes the entire search.

Q: How should companies think about reshaping a role instead of replacing a person?
A: Hiring is a rare moment to step back and reassess what the business actually needs next. Rather than recreating the previous role, leaders should ask whether the company’s challenges, strategy, or team gaps have changed and design the role accordingly. This first-principles approach leads to better long-term outcomes.

Q: Why is stakeholder alignment so critical to the executive hiring process?
A: Misaligned stakeholders create confusion for candidates and increase the risk of late-stage rejection. Clear alignment ensures everyone evaluates candidates against the same criteria and avoids hidden vetoes or political dynamics. It also improves the candidate experience and protects strong hires from being derailed by internal agendas.

Q: Why do the best executives take calculated career risks rather than seeking comfort?
A: Real career acceleration usually happens in environments with ambiguity, pressure, and opportunity. High-comfort roles often limit growth, slow decision-making, and reduce ownership. Executives who embrace discomfort like turnarounds, scaling challenges, or under-resourced teams, create more opportunities to demonstrate impact and grow faster.

Q: How should candidates use metrics without being misinterpreted?
A: Metrics only matter when paired with context. Raw numbers can mislead if market conditions, competitive dynamics, or sector-wide trends aren’t explained. By framing performance relative to the environment such as outperforming peers during a downturn, candidates turn numbers into credible proof of leadership and judgment.

Q: Why do questions matter more than answers in executive interviews?
A: The quality of a candidate’s questions reveals how they think, prioritize, and prepare. Insightful questions show strategic depth, curiosity, and an understanding of the business beyond the job description. Strong questioning often distinguishes candidates who can operate at the executive level from those who simply meet the requirements.

Q: Why does instinct still play a role in final executive hiring decisions?
A: Even with rigorous processes and data, leadership hiring is ultimately about future potential and working dynamics. Instinct helps decision-makers assess trust, alignment, and long-term fit, especially when choosing between equally qualified candidates. When backed by strong fundamentals, gut judgment remains a valid and necessary part of executive hiring

Episode Resources:

• Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
• Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
• Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube

Mission One: The Executive Edge is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so