
Show HN: Bounty – Crowdsourced Technical Recruiting - tqn
http://bounty.webflow.com/
======
andrewstuart
This is a silly idea that continually gets reinvented.

The people who reinvent it think "Wow! How can this not exist? It's such a
good idea and we're first to market!", failing to realise that they didn't
find another competitor because so many other people have built the EXACT SAME
THING and failed and shut it down.

Here's the last time I said the exact same thing:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7631094](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7631094)

about this:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7628532](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7628532)

My personal version of this stupid concept was
[http://www.jobbountyhunter.com](http://www.jobbountyhunter.com) (hey the
domain is available! snap it up!) and here was our version two - even better!
[http://web.archive.org/web/20090317010055/http://jobbountyhu...](http://web.archive.org/web/20090317010055/http://jobbountyhunter.com/)
which I failed at about six years ago. We even went back for a second bite,
rebuilt it and wasted more money thinking it would work if third party website
published the job ads and collected some of the bounty. Strike two!

In my hometown, in my personal network of connections alone I know of two
other people who built the EXACT SAME THING too, and also failed. I am certain
there have been many other attempts and others will continue to build this
thinking it's a good idea.

It's a stinky idea at its core because people don't like selling their friends
and acquaintances. If you are the entrepreneur who built this then save your
time and money, shut it down now and build something else whilst you have the
time and energy and money.

~~~
tqn
Andrew, thanks a lot for sharing your feedback and personal experience
attempting a similar service.

You mentioned that "It's a stinky idea at its core because people don't like
selling their friends and acquaintances." Was the biggest challenge finding
people interested in making referrals?

Your caveat is well-taken. It seems like quite a number of startups,
unsuccessfully, have tried to get this model to work. Most notably Top
Prospect, which I believe is now defunct:

[http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/15/top-prospect-connects-
with-...](http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/15/top-prospect-connects-with-
linkedin-to-turn-your-talented-friends-into-cash/)

------
TimPC
I've got to say there is also a much more effective market if I'm willing to
offer connections. Existing recruiters offer fairly substantial referral fees
in certain cases. Recruiters can get 25% of 1 years salary: it's not hard for
them to offer 5% when they get stuck on positions If I can get $5K on a 100K
job, your referral bonus better be really good to get me to spend the effort.

~~~
andrewstuart
I'd like a job please at a recruiter that earns a 25% fee. I've never heard of
one. Certainly recruiters might ask for that but no employer I know of would
ever pay it.

~~~
sghi
For a 'hard to fill' role 20-30% first year salary isn't unheard of at all

