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How to enter side doors
A college AI researcher published a Notion guide to latent space, got recruited via Discord, and cofounded Leonardo.ai, later acquired by Canva.
What: Maja, a teacher and job seeker, collected five case studies where 'side doors' (public work, cold emails, specific asks) beat standard applications: her cold email to Calm's CEO at 18, LinkedIn message creating a Blackbird Foundation internship, Jae hired by Eucalyptus CEO Tim Doyle after publishing an essay, Ethan recruited via Discord for Leonardo.ai cofounder after publishing 'Traveller's Guide to Latent Space', and Julia's viral Shopify video.
Why it matters: In saturated markets where AI polishes applications into identical prose, specificity and public proof become stronger signals than credentials—viewing careers as 'problems to solve' rather than 'positions to fill' reveals paths that don't appear on job boards.
Takeaway: List three companies solving problems you care about, then find one person at each whose work you admire—draft a specific message or create a small artifact showing how you could help.
Original article
Many people try to gain employment through the front door: they find a job advertisement, send their resume, and hope that someone on the other side notices them. Most people don't realize there are other entrances into the building. Conversations at parties, warm introductions, cold emails, and visible proof of work are viable alternatives. Sometimes, it's about creating a signal that attracts the exact person who needs it.
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