The world of work has changed. Four years ago, two friends from Argentina, Martín Calzetti and Ignacio Basso, experienced it firsthand: after a trip, they left the world of multinationals to become entrepreneurs. Their mission was to connect independent talent with companies so that people could build their own career roadmap. The result was Seeds, a startup dedicated to lending a hand to freelancers and assisting large companies looking for talent. Today they have more than 10,000 members, about 30 active clients, and 54 employees. Born in Argentina, they reached Chile and the USA this year, and by 2023 they plan to land in Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Martin Calzetti, CEO and co-founder, answered Contxto’s questionnaire.
What problem does your startup solve?
Seeds was born on September 21, 2018, which is international freelancer’s day, after a trip that made us rethink how we work. While we were in jobs that we liked, we didn’t feel comfortable in the relationship with the companies, and we started to realize that it wasn’t just our problem. It was something that many friends and colleagues were experiencing too. We noticed that this dissatisfaction also affected companies regarding attracting and retaining talent. We understood that the work model as we knew it could evolve to more flexible structures. That’s what we set out to do when we created Seeds: evolve the way we work. Seeds is a startup that connects validated and on-demand talent from LatAm with leading companies in the region and the world. It is the partner that takes companies and professionals to the future of work: we manage the perfect match between the needs of the company and the talent with the skills and experience sought through a community of top talents.
Martin Calzetti, CEO and co-founder of Seeds (Photo: Seeds).
How is it different from others that have tried this idea before?
The Seeds difference in relation to other companies in the industry can be seen from two points of view. On the companies’ side, we optimize the recruitment process, reducing onboarding times for validated talent to less than 10 days. We enable them to save on consulting costs with lower fees. We build flexible teams with diverse experiences and skills, provide access to the best-specialized talent in the market and accompany the entire process from identifying the company’s talent needs to completing the project. In terms of talent, we offer the differential of being part of a top talent community that includes: flexibility to choose which projects to work on, for how long, and from where; on-demand job opportunities in multinationals; negotiation of the most competitive fees in the market; centralization of payments and administrative issues; support from onboarding to the completion of each project; programs designed to enhance technical skills and to develop key competencies; and networking spaces.
How do you generate income?
By charging a fee on top of what the talent wants to earn. The company pays Seeds once the professional is working.
What accomplishment of the company are you most proud of?
Seeds was born four years ago. We put together an economically sustainable business that grows organically x3 year by year. We have positioned ourselves as a reference for new ways of working. Seeds seeks to merge the new desires and priorities of talent with the need of companies to incorporate highly qualified professionals with specific skills in an agile and on-demand way. The model is a win-win for both talent and organizations.
What is the next step for Seeds?
Seeds was born four years ago, we put together an economically sustainable business that grows organically x3 year by year. We have positioned ourselves as a reference for new ways of working. Seeds seeks to merge the new desires and priorities of talent with the need of companies to incorporate highly qualified professionals with specific skills in an agile and on-demand way. The model is a win-win for both talent and organizations.
What is the next step for the company?
Seeds is in the process of regional expansion. This year we opened offices in the US and Chile, and next year we plan to continue establishing ourselves as a reference in the “present of work” in Latin America. Expansion is going to be one of our focuses in 2023. There are some open conversations with VCs to receive investment to accelerate business and technological developments.
Main image: Adobe Stock.
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