SideShift

We just launched some new AI-driven features to help our businesses identify their best applicants faster. 🚀 Previously, businesses had to sift through an overwhelming number of applicants to find those who truly fit their needs. Now, with our new AI candidate prompt search, small businesses can filter with 100x more precision than traditional methods, pinpointing ideal applicants with greater ease. Additionally, we've introduced a tool that automatically generates comprehensive job listings from just the job title, streamlining the hiring process even further. While these are initial steps in our broader AI roadmap, we’re excited to see these features delivering immediate value. #ai #machinelearning #innovation #entrepreneurship

we were interviewing for a potential new SDR yesterday. 🤟 he had all the right qualifications: hungry, witty, sharp. in the middle of his interview, this unexpectedly happened... let me know how you would handle this as a hiring manager? (yes, he let us post this video) #genz #genzmarketing #fake #viral #skit #HR #innovation

How we landed our first paying customer: Back in early April, we hit a major milestone—our first paying customer. At the time, our web beta was still in a rough phase, but it was already delivering results. We managed to help a local business make a few hires, and seeing our product not only work but also create tangible outcomes was incredibly rewarding. To be clear, we weren’t focused on revenue yet. Our priority was to ensure the product actually worked. But after chatting with the business, they mentioned they liked the platform and wanted to keep using it. When they asked how much it would cost, we instinctively said, “100 bucks,” which seemed standard across the industry (We were very wrong). Here’s the kicker: we didn’t even have a payment system integrated yet. So we had to get creative and use a third-party service (Business Venmo) to accept the payment. Since then, we've refined our pricing to better reflect the value we deliver. The moral of the story? Focus on showcasing your product's value, and the revenue will follow. #storytime #innovation #entrpreneurship #payingcustomers

🌟 What an Incredible Night w/ Columbia University! 🌟 We had the honor of being one of the six teams invited to pitch at Columbia, selected from a pool of 70 nominees! It was a fantastic experience, and we're incredibly grateful for the opportunity to showcase SideShift alongside other inspiring startups, such as MabLab and Saarey. A huge shout out to the Columbia Venture Committee for organizing such a great event, and for giving us the platform to connect with talented entrepreneurs and innovative minds. 🚀 At SideShift, we're passionate about connecting Gen Z students with part-time work opportunities in a way that's simple, intuitive, and impactful. Last night reaffirmed our commitment to this mission! Exciting times ahead—stay tuned! 💥 Nick Lawton / Drew Levin #Columbia #Startup #PitchNight #Entrepreneurship #GenZ #PartTimeWork #SideShift

We’re happy to announce that SideShift has successfully raised $200,000 in our pre-seed funding round! 🚀 With this funding, we’re set to expand our platform to multiple campuses this fall and enhance it with artificial intelligence. Our development efforts will focus on smarter, data-driven job matching, personalized recommendations, and automating backend recruitment processes for businesses. This investment marks a big step forward in our mission to provide Gen Z with a better way to support themselves while in school by connecting them seamlessly with unique part-time work opportunities. A big thank you to our investors, and all of the people who have helped us along the way (Madworks Accelerator by StartingBlock / BullMont / Select Angels / University of Wisconsin-Madison / Wisconsin School of Business ) Nick Lawton / Canyon Pergande / Oliver Manilow / Dierre Johnson / Drew Levin / Axel L. / Ziji Li / David Juarez

here’s how we got our first users for our marketplace: in early April, we finally had a beta product ready to launch. But there was a challenge — with a two-sided marketplace, how do you create momentum on both sides? If either the businesses or students joined before the other, they could quickly churn after realizing there wasn’t enough activity on the platform. so, what did we do? we faked the initial supply. we collected an email list of over 500 students by telling them their favorite local businesses would be hiring through our platform starting in May. (these businesses eventually did join later on.) armed with this list of real student interest, we approached over 25 local businesses. our pitch was simple: “there’s great local talent already looking for work, and they’re on our platform. you can access them directly, either on mobile or desktop, without waiting for applicants to walk through your door and fill out paper applications.” since then, it’s been a constant balancing act to maintain that equilibrium between students and businesses, but that’s how we kick-started the marketplace. in the early stages of building a two-sided marketplace, you may need to get creative to simulate demand or supply. By showing real value to both sides, you can create traction where it didn't naturally exist. sometimes, you have to paint the picture before it becomes a reality. #innovation #marketplace #entrepreneurship #growthack

🎉 Transcend UW Kickoff Recap🎉 This week, Transcend UW officially kicked off what promises to be an incredible year, as we proudly celebrate our 10-year anniversary. We are beyond excited to mark this milestone with such enthusiasm and momentum! Reflecting on the past decade, it’s truly inspiring to see how far we’ve come, and none of this success would have been possible without the unwavering passion, creativity, and dedication of our community. A sincere thank you to everyone who joined us at the kickoff event – your energy is what makes Transcend UW thrive. A special acknowledgment to SideShift for being a part of our celebration and sharing your story with us. Your support and collaboration are invaluable. We look forward to a year filled with innovation, growth, and countless opportunities to empower students on their entrepreneurial journeys. Here’s to an exciting new chapter – let’s make this our best year yet! #TranscendUW #10YearAnniversary #KickoffEvent #Entrepreneurship #Innovation

recap of our launch party last week -> 😎 🚀 the energy and turnout from our student users was amazing, and were so thrilled to be creating something that is impacting our community in a positive way daily. things are looking up, and it's time to put the pieces in place for an expansion plan this fall to over 10+ new campuses... stay tuned for more recap & updates. #sideshift #innovation #marketing #support #hrtech #genz

last week we hosted our first launch party. 😎 we invited our close friends + power users. 🚀 take a look into how it went by following our Head of Sales Dierre Johnson 🤘 #innovation #marketing #launch #entrpreneurship #tech

Did you know Jeff Bezos worked at McDonald's ? "I worked at McDonald’s during the summer in high school and college. They have a lot of systems in place, and even though you might think of it as a simple job, I learned a lot about managing large organizations and serving customers quickly. The importance of being efficient and working under pressure has stuck with me." At SideShift, we're creating a platform where Gen Z can have those same foundational experiences, helping local & remote businesses thrive by connecting them with motivated college students. Lessons from any job, no matter how small, can shape the leaders of tomorrow. #innovation #management #technology #viralmarketing