Two years ago, we launched the first user-owned talent network connecting knowledge workers with Fortune 500 enterprises, top tech startups, and Web3 projects. We started out as “just” a gig marketplace but grew quickly into a comprehensive part-time, full-time, contract, and W-2 jobs marketplace.
Clients benefit from the direct access to talent they struggle to hire in-house, efficient matching that cuts months-long hiring cycles down to a couple weeks, low fees (10%), and most importantly, the quality standards the community has set for screening talent.
Talent also benefit, with direct access to abundant work with high-caliber clients, earning tokens for helping build the network (such as making referrals), and paying ZERO marketplace fees. Plus, the token allows users to vote on the network, so talent can shape the rules of the marketplace where they make their living.
The Braintrust economy has never been stronger. Thanks to the community-led and built Fee Converter, the 10% fee clients pay must be paid in BTRST, which then funnels to the DAO, and will help support future network expansion—both geographically and into other verticals (legal, accounting, etc). (All client fees and invoices that fund the DAO can be seen here: https://fees.btrstinfo.xyz/. All network stats are on the public dashboard: https://info.braintrust.com.)
Combine the superior control and economics of a user-owned network with a global pandemic that made remote work the new normal, and Braintrust finds itself incredibly well positioned.
We could not be more excited to introduce the Braintrust Professional Network.
Last year, several of the core teams and members of the Braintrust community brought forward an important observation to us — put simply, that we could be doing more to serve members of our network during those moments when they are not actively seeking out their next job opportunity. In other words, they prompted us to consider how we can better serve those in our network who are looking for more than just the next project, the next paycheck.
After all, searching for a job is episodic — what about what you need to develop the rest of your career?
So many of the skills needed to advance your career in most knowledge worker fields can’t be learned in traditional educational settings, but instead are learned on the job or from your network of trusted advisors, mentors, colleagues, and friends. We believe we have a unique and incredible opportunity to offer product features that provide advice, guidance, mentorship, and ideas to those who are looking for them.
You can imagine the myriad challenges any individual in our network could be facing on any given day….
How to approach a manager about not being sufficiently challenged?
How to present your CV/work experience in a way that tells a better story?
How to approach a project that feels overwhelming?
How to break into the Web3 space in a more meaningful way?
We are excited to be building a product that will finally, meaningfully, connect those asking these questions with the experienced individuals who can best answer them.
Existing participants in our network will lead this exciting new offering, but we will also be expanding and recruiting from outside the network, because we want our community to have access to the best and the brightest across industries and professions.
These new features have been in development for several months and will start to roll out later this year (2022). The features are designed to help people in all stages of their career network, learn, and advance much more quickly … and empower people who are later in their careers to help others through advice and mentorship.
Charging an hourly rate for the core skills someone makes their living from (programmer, designer, lawyer, etc) feels comfortable. But when it comes to offering career guidance, professionals typically don’t feel as comfortable charging an hourly rate or fee, even when the time invested is just as valuable. Using a “points” system to transact these services doesn’t feel right either — those work fine for games but don’t feel like a good fit for something that expands your career and earning potential.
We think a potentially better way to alleviate the discomfort of exchanging these valuable services is to unlock unique, quality mentorship and guidance with crypto tokens. So, the new Braintrust network features will be underpinned by the Braintrust token (BTRST). Talent will have the opportunity to spend tokens in exchange for mentorship and advice. And mentors will earn tokens for helping their colleagues, creating and contributing to content, and growing the community. A percentage will go to the DAO, of course, as happens today when clients pay fees.
The big vision here is to build a user-owned network where people help people through every stage of their career: being mentored, upskilling, finding a new and better gig/job, providing mentorship, rinse, repeat – a virtuous cycle that drives network growth and participation, all underpinned by the Braintrust token.
Sign up for Braintrust to join the Professional Network.
Already have a Braintrust account? Join the conversation on the Career Help Feed.