This is a throwaway-account because the business I run still has customers and clients.
I started a company about ten years ago focusing on a fairly niche wireless product. The business never took off; revenue has always been between between $100k and $900k per year. At this point, it's basically a hobby that throws off some cash.
I've been applying to various business development and product manager positions for over a year, but have had zero replies. I've raised a couple million dollars, navigated arcane regulations, hired/managed/laid off staff, and built/shipped a dozen different physical products (about 20,000 units in total). I'm assuming that the lack of interest from recruiters is due to me working for myself for too long. Of course, I could be wrong and my resume might just suck.
I guess it makes sense that hiring managers don't want to deal with someone who has not been managed for a long time, but those types are also self-starters who produce results with very little oversight.
In any case, are there any companies (large or small) that explicitly favor hiring/contracting former founders? I assume my opportunities are limited, because most of my expertise is in wireless product development, though business development is fairly agnostic.
I would say there are TWO problems you have right now.
1. Recruiters are not the people you want to reach out to. Reach out to the entrepreneurs who are running the businesses you want to work for... This implies that you might have luck with scaleups/startups or founder-led companies... The important piece is: recruiters will rarely have the appreciation for your experiences that other founders do, and most companies don't explicitly seek out ex-founders... So you'll resonate with the founders but NOT with a recruiter who has a checklist of skills.
2. Make sure your "about me" section in your resume outlines the difficulties of starting and scaling a business, and why you are so unique... Good executive recruiters know that special people struggle putting their experiences into a cohesive checklist, but then your "about me" section needs to be really compelling.