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Dec 19, 2022 · 24m · top-founders

How JobPaths Hit $1.2m in Revenue Helping Ex-Vets Get resources and jobs

Jack Fanus · 13m spoken Nathan Latka · 7m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

JobPaths Co-founder and CEO Jack Fanus discusses scaling his bootstrapped SaaS workforce platform to $1.2 million in revenue, connecting municipal governments and major enterprises with non-traditional job seekers through grassroots nonprofit partnerships.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Nathan holds 36.2% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Nathan as informed peer 5.5 Guest teaching 3.2 Guest disagreement 4.7 Nathan pushing back 5.2
05100:0010:0020:001:08–3:31 · Nathan as informed peer 4/10 Introducing Jack Fanus and JobPaths' Core Mission Latka sets up the interview by asking about customer examples and marketplace dynamics. Fanus explains his nonprofit background and how JobPaths powers both supply and demand sides.3:32–11:46 · Nathan as informed peer 6/10 Platform User Numbers and Defining Active Job Seekers Major friction erupts when Latka repeatedly presses Fanus for hard placement conversion metrics, dismissing qualitative terms like 'empowerment.' Fanus forcefully resists, arguing Latka is mischaracterizing the business model as Indeed rather than community software.11:46–17:26 · Nathan as informed peer 6/10 Serving 25 Organizations and Translating Military Skills Latka cuts off Fanus when he starts re-explaining military MOS translation, pivoting the discussion to customer numbers and the transition from custom agency builds to self-serve SaaS tiers.17:26–20:12 · Nathan as informed peer 7/10 Detailed User Engagement Funnel and Placement Statistics Fanus attempts to lecture Latka on applicant tracking systems (ATS), but Latka hits back citing interviews with iCIMS' Colin Day and demands exact funnel numbers, prompting Fanus to finally reveal the user drop-off and placement stats.20:12–22:27 · Nathan as informed peer 6/10 Company Financials, Team Size, and $3M Fundraising Goal Latka drills into revenue, team headcount, and fundraising targets, breaking down the math of $1.2M ARR across 25 accounts.22:28–24:20 · Nathan as informed peer 4/10 The Famous Five and Interview Reflections During the Famous Five, Fanus laments how hard the interview was and complains he could not focus purely on mission, leading Latka to push back that he repeated the mission eight times.1:08–3:31 · Guest teaching 3/10 Introducing Jack Fanus and JobPaths' Core Mission Latka sets up the interview by asking about customer examples and marketplace dynamics. Fanus explains his nonprofit background and how JobPaths powers both supply and demand sides.3:32–11:46 · Guest teaching 5/10 Platform User Numbers and Defining Active Job Seekers Major friction erupts when Latka repeatedly presses Fanus for hard placement conversion metrics, dismissing qualitative terms like 'empowerment.' Fanus forcefully resists, arguing Latka is mischaracterizing the business model as Indeed rather than community software.11:46–17:26 · Guest teaching 3/10 Serving 25 Organizations and Translating Military Skills Latka cuts off Fanus when he starts re-explaining military MOS translation, pivoting the discussion to customer numbers and the transition from custom agency builds to self-serve SaaS tiers.17:26–20:12 · Guest teaching 4/10 Detailed User Engagement Funnel and Placement Statistics Fanus attempts to lecture Latka on applicant tracking systems (ATS), but Latka hits back citing interviews with iCIMS' Colin Day and demands exact funnel numbers, prompting Fanus to finally reveal the user drop-off and placement stats.20:12–22:27 · Guest teaching 2/10 Company Financials, Team Size, and $3M Fundraising Goal Latka drills into revenue, team headcount, and fundraising targets, breaking down the math of $1.2M ARR across 25 accounts.22:28–24:20 · Guest teaching 2/10 The Famous Five and Interview Reflections During the Famous Five, Fanus laments how hard the interview was and complains he could not focus purely on mission, leading Latka to push back that he repeated the mission eight times.1:08–3:31 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Introducing Jack Fanus and JobPaths' Core Mission Latka sets up the interview by asking about customer examples and marketplace dynamics. Fanus explains his nonprofit background and how JobPaths powers both supply and demand sides.3:32–11:46 · Guest disagreement 8/10 Platform User Numbers and Defining Active Job Seekers Major friction erupts when Latka repeatedly presses Fanus for hard placement conversion metrics, dismissing qualitative terms like 'empowerment.' Fanus forcefully resists, arguing Latka is mischaracterizing the business model as Indeed rather than community software.11:46–17:26 · Guest disagreement 4/10 Serving 25 Organizations and Translating Military Skills Latka cuts off Fanus when he starts re-explaining military MOS translation, pivoting the discussion to customer numbers and the transition from custom agency builds to self-serve SaaS tiers.17:26–20:12 · Guest disagreement 7/10 Detailed User Engagement Funnel and Placement Statistics Fanus attempts to lecture Latka on applicant tracking systems (ATS), but Latka hits back citing interviews with iCIMS' Colin Day and demands exact funnel numbers, prompting Fanus to finally reveal the user drop-off and placement stats.20:12–22:27 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Company Financials, Team Size, and $3M Fundraising Goal Latka drills into revenue, team headcount, and fundraising targets, breaking down the math of $1.2M ARR across 25 accounts.22:28–24:20 · Guest disagreement 6/10 The Famous Five and Interview Reflections During the Famous Five, Fanus laments how hard the interview was and complains he could not focus purely on mission, leading Latka to push back that he repeated the mission eight times.1:08–3:31 · Nathan pushing back 1/10 Introducing Jack Fanus and JobPaths' Core Mission Latka sets up the interview by asking about customer examples and marketplace dynamics. Fanus explains his nonprofit background and how JobPaths powers both supply and demand sides.3:32–11:46 · Nathan pushing back 8/10 Platform User Numbers and Defining Active Job Seekers Major friction erupts when Latka repeatedly presses Fanus for hard placement conversion metrics, dismissing qualitative terms like 'empowerment.' Fanus forcefully resists, arguing Latka is mischaracterizing the business model as Indeed rather than community software.11:46–17:26 · Nathan pushing back 5/10 Serving 25 Organizations and Translating Military Skills Latka cuts off Fanus when he starts re-explaining military MOS translation, pivoting the discussion to customer numbers and the transition from custom agency builds to self-serve SaaS tiers.17:26–20:12 · Nathan pushing back 8/10 Detailed User Engagement Funnel and Placement Statistics Fanus attempts to lecture Latka on applicant tracking systems (ATS), but Latka hits back citing interviews with iCIMS' Colin Day and demands exact funnel numbers, prompting Fanus to finally reveal the user drop-off and placement stats.20:12–22:27 · Nathan pushing back 3/10 Company Financials, Team Size, and $3M Fundraising Goal Latka drills into revenue, team headcount, and fundraising targets, breaking down the math of $1.2M ARR across 25 accounts.22:28–24:20 · Nathan pushing back 6/10 The Famous Five and Interview Reflections During the Famous Five, Fanus laments how hard the interview was and complains he could not focus purely on mission, leading Latka to push back that he repeated the mission eight times.

speaking balance: gold is Nathan, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Nathan 55.5% · guest 44.5%0:00 · Nathan 55.5% · guest 44.5%3:00 · Nathan 28.3% · guest 71.7%3:00 · Nathan 28.3% · guest 71.7%6:00 · Nathan 19.8% · guest 80.2%6:00 · Nathan 19.8% · guest 80.2%9:00 · Nathan 52.3% · guest 47.7%9:00 · Nathan 52.3% · guest 47.7%12:00 · Nathan 10.1% · guest 89.9%12:00 · Nathan 10.1% · guest 89.9%15:00 · Nathan 43.3% · guest 56.7%15:00 · Nathan 43.3% · guest 56.7%18:00 · Nathan 21.5% · guest 78.5%18:00 · Nathan 21.5% · guest 78.5%21:00 · Nathan 51.8% · guest 48.2%21:00 · Nathan 51.8% · guest 48.2%24:00 · Nathan 73.4% · guest 26.6%24:00 · Nathan 73.4% · guest 26.6%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 9:50 Fanus confronts Latka over repeated questioning

Fanus openly rejects Latka's line of questioning, accusing him of repeating himself and trying to artificially redefine what the company does.

 Hardest push from Nathan ▶ 5:32 Latka rejects qualitative 'empowerment' framing

Latka cuts off Fanus's generic explanation, explicitly refusing to accept 'empowerment' as a success metric and demanding quantifiable placement rates.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 10:51 Fanus clarifies platform model vs job board

Fanus breaks down the architectural reality that JobPaths licenses software to local organizations rather than running the hiring operations directly, dismantling Latka's assumption that JobPaths is structured like Indeed.

 Nathan holds their own ▶ 17:47 Latka shuts down ATS patronizing with industry citations

When Fanus condescendingly asks if Latka knows what an ATS is, Latka immediately shuts it down by citing his interviews with iCIMS founder Colin Day and other HR tech leaders.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicNathan as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementNathan pushing backWhy
Introducing Jack Fanus and JobPaths' Core Mission 4311 Latka sets up the interview by asking about customer examples and marketplace dynamics. Fanus explains his nonprofit background and how JobPaths powers both supply and demand sides.
Platform User Numbers and Defining Active Job Seekers 6588 Major friction erupts when Latka repeatedly presses Fanus for hard placement conversion metrics, dismissing qualitative terms like 'empowerment.' Fanus forcefully resists, arguing Latka is mischaracterizing the business model as Indeed rather than community software.
Serving 25 Organizations and Translating Military Skills 6345 Latka cuts off Fanus when he starts re-explaining military MOS translation, pivoting the discussion to customer numbers and the transition from custom agency builds to self-serve SaaS tiers.
Detailed User Engagement Funnel and Placement Statistics 7478 Fanus attempts to lecture Latka on applicant tracking systems (ATS), but Latka hits back citing interviews with iCIMS' Colin Day and demands exact funnel numbers, prompting Fanus to finally reveal the user drop-off and placement stats.
Company Financials, Team Size, and $3M Fundraising Goal 6223 Latka drills into revenue, team headcount, and fundraising targets, breaking down the math of $1.2M ARR across 25 accounts.
The Famous Five and Interview Reflections 4266 During the Famous Five, Fanus laments how hard the interview was and complains he could not focus purely on mission, leading Latka to push back that he repeated the mission eight times.

Statements from this episode (14)

Assertion Supported
Fanus: JobPaths Powers NYC Veteran Hiring, Partners With Uber and Apple
“So some of our biggest clients, we power the city of New York's initiative to help veterans connect with jobs, both on the global process with civilian positions, but also within the city for some civil service positions within the city. So really working with…”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 1:53
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Fanus Claims JobPaths Is the Largest U.S. DEI Platform by Far
“But a really robust platform the largest D and I platform in the country by far.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 3:54
Disclosure
JobPaths Classifies Anyone Who Merely Logs In as an Active User
“Well, it depends on which buttons, but yeah, as long as they logged in, as long as they're logged in, they're an active user.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 4:38
Disclosure
JobPaths Measures Success by Training Engagement Rather Than Job Placements
“We are gauging our success rate mainly by the number of users that are taking our training classes or building resumes.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 8:53
Disclosure
Fanus Admits JobPaths Cannot Track Specific Job Placement Figures
“This is the problem with why I cannot answer that question, because each community has their own programs. They are running their own data. They're connecting with their own employers. They're just using my software. You're grading me as if I'm Indeed. I'm not…”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 10:52
Assertion Not checkable as stated
JobPaths Counts About 25 Client Organizations in Its Network
“So we have in our network, if you look at our network of sites, we have about 25 organizations that range from, you know, major nonprofits like the Bob Woodruff Foundation is one of our newest clients that's come on board. Gridiron Capital is a partner of thei…”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 11:58
Assertion Not checkable as stated
JobPaths Charged Institutional Customers $100K to $250K Annually for Custom Builds
“That's the high level and the low level is a 100,000 dollars a year.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 16:07
Assertion Not checkable as stated
JobPaths Sees 24,000 Monthly Signups and 12,000 Job Applicants
“24,000 new users have signed up for our system. Okay. 18,000 new users. 18,000 new users every month have connected with a new resource. Close to 12,000 users have applied for a job.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 19:23
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Fanus Claims a Near-20% Job Placement Rate Over 90 Days
“The placement rate for that is close to 20%, but that takes over 90 days to place.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 19:44
Disclosure
JobPaths Is Currently Seeking to Raise $3 Million in Capital
“Three million dollars.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 20:23
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Fanus Claims JobPaths Hit $1.2 Million in Annual Revenue
“This coming year, we're at 1.2 million dollars for the year is our revenue.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 21:30
Prediction Not checkable as stated
JobPaths Projects Surpassing $2 Million in Revenue Next Year
“We're on pace to do over two million for the following year, for the next year.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 21:35
Assertion Not checkable as stated
JobPaths Generated $685,000 in Revenue the Previous Year
“Six 85.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 21:50
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Founder Jack Fanus Claims He Averages Three Hours of Sleep Per Night
“Yep. Except for Saturdays, I might get five. My wife makes me sleep in another room because I wake her up.”
Jack Fanus Dec 19, 2022 ▶ 23:23
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