Jim Ferry, a Partner at Volition Capital with $1.7B AUM, recently posted a VC analyst role and received 2,500 applications in one week.

That number alone says everything. In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, we unpack what that level of competition really means, why traditional career advice is broken, and how hiring managers actually think when they’re flooded with applicants who all look the same on paper.

If you’re trying to get hired into a competitive role, this episode will force you to rethink your approach. This conversation isn’t about polishing résumés or gaming LinkedIn. It’s about thinking like the person doing the hiring.

We get into:

• What 2,500 applications for one role tells us about the job market
• Why credentials & grades matter less than most people think
• How candidates disqualify themselves before interviews
• What hiring managers are actually screening for
• Common resume and interviewing mistakes
• How to position yourself when competition is extreme

His perspective on investing in the age of AI This episode is a wake-up call for anyone trying to break into competitive roles especially in VC, startups, and high-performance environments. If you want to get hired, promoted, or taken seriously, this conversation will change how you approach your career.

🎧 Listen now and rethink how you stand out.

About Jim Ferry

Jim is a Partner at Volition Capital, a Boston-based Series A / Series B growth equity firm with over $1.7B in assets under management. Volition invests ~$15M to ~$60M in technology startups with a ~$5M+ run rate. Since joining the firm in 2014, Jim has focused on high-growth, founder-owned companies in the internet and consumer sectors. Jim specializes in high-volume transactional businesses across sectors including ad tech, marketplaces, fintech, consolidation platforms, and more, partnering with founders to scale their businesses efficiently.

Connect with Jim

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LinkedIn

Volition Capital (email)

If you are a high growth startup with a ~$5M+ run rate looking to raise ~$15M-60M, feel free to reach out to Volition Capital:

dealflow@volitioncapital.com

Who you know in business is critical to your success, especially as a startup. And meeting the right people whether its best employees, partners, customers, and investors often requires networking and meeting new people in person.

But what if you're an introvert like me and dread networking and meeting new people in person?

There are a few simple and easy steps you can implement to overcome your fear, get out of your comfort zone and start meeting new people.

This advice is not limited to business events, but can be implemented more broadly, such as social events. This advice is borne out of my own experience as an introvert after realizing early on that in order to achieve my business and financial goals, I would have to get out of my comfort zone, and meet new people in person at scale. And its worked wonders for me!

Max Abergel signed one of the most influential rappers in the world without an intro, a résumé, or permission. He literally slipped past security and walked into a green room.

That moment led to a long-term partnership with Waka Flocka Flame, an artist with diamond-certified records, collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Drake, and a brand that stretches far beyond music into business, philanthropy, and politics.

But this episode isn’t about celebrity. It’s about the operators behind the scenes, the people who turn influence into a business.

And Max didn’t come from music. He came from tech.

That initial pitch in the green room turned into an 11-year partnership spanning:

• Touring and brand deals

• Business operations and management

• Investments and exits

• Building businesses around a personal brand without diluting it

Waka Flocka Flame isn’t just a rapper, he’s a cultural force. Platinum records. Global tours. One of the defining voices of modern trap music. And someone who understood early that brand > product.

We get into:

• The wild story of how Max met Waka and why it worked

• How to turn proximity into partnership (without being transactional)

• Why brand affinity matters more than follower count

• The difference between selling hours vs. building leverage

• Lessons from working with one of the biggest artists in the world

• Why authenticity compounds over time

• What “escaping the matrix” actually looks like in real life

• Why most people miss opportunities that are right in front of them

• Why Wocka endorsed Trump for President before it was cool

If you’re a founder, creator, or operator trying to build something that lasts, this episode is a real-world lesson in how relationships become platforms.