8VC · 2 hours ago
Growth Lead - MeritFirst
Austin, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level8VC is backing MeritFirst, a company on a mission to revolutionize talent evaluation. The Growth Lead will be responsible for user acquisition, designing viral referral loops, optimizing the candidate funnel, and building the Merit brand through innovative strategies and content creation.
FinanceFinancial ServicesVenture Capital
Responsibilities
Ignite user acquisition: Architect and execute strategies to drive massive candidate sign-ups. You will experiment across channels - social media (TikTok/LinkedIn), niche communities (Reddit/Discord), influencers, partnerships, and events
Engineer viral loops: Design product mechanisms that encourage candidates to share their assessment scores and invite peers
Optimize the candidate funnel: Obsess over the user journey from "landing page visitor" to "completed assessment." You will use A/B testing and behavioral psychology to reduce friction and increase completion rates
Build the "Merit" brand: Craft the narrative that empowers candidates to reject the resume and embrace the test. You will be the voice of the underdog, creating content that resonates with job seekers tired of the status quo
Leverage programmatic SEO & AI: Use AI to generate content and landing pages at scale, capturing long-tail search intent for job seekers in specific industries or skill sets
Qualification
Required
B2C Growth DNA: You understand consumer psychology and have a track record of driving user growth for a consumer app, marketplace, or community-led product
Viral mechanic expertise: You know how to calculate K-factors and have experience building referral programs or product loops that drive organic growth
Data-driven experimentation: You live in the data. You are comfortable analyzing cohort retention, drop-off points, and acquisition costs
AI-native: You use AI tools daily to create content, automate community moderation, and personalize candidate communication at scale
Scrappy distributor: You don't wait for a marketing budget. You find where the users are - whether it's a coding bootcamp Slack, a university forum, or a Twitter thread - and you go get them
Benefits
Autonomy: rapid growth with outsized ownership and scope
Meritocracy: We focus on real capabilities, not credentials.
Innovation: Work on cutting-edge projects that challenge the status quo and empower people to succeed.
Backed by the best: We’re funded by 8VC and Slow Ventures, with support from world-class builders like Joe Lonsdale and Sam Lessin who’ve helped scale some of the most influential tech companies of the last decade.
Company
8VC
8VC invests in innovative technologies that create economic and societal value.
Founded in 2015
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
unknown2018-05-01Series Unknown
Leadership Team
Jake Medwell
Co-Founder and Partner
Alex Kolicich
Founding Partner
Recent News
2026-01-24
2026-01-24
2026-01-23
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