I am Sean Linehan. At 8 years old, I fell madly in love with the internet and never looked back. I've built and contributed to dozens of online projects as a people leader, product manager, designer, and software engineer.

You can find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Writing

Linearize Your Thinking

The Rise of Software Delivered Services

Stuff I've Made

Exec · Co-Founder, CEO
Exec is a tech-enabled talent development agency. We help companies like SAP, JP Morgan, and Campbell's design and manage custom coaching and training programs.

Placement
Originally, Placement helped relocate Americans for better economic opportunities. Now, it's the D2C career coaching arm of Exec.

Squad · Co-Founder, CEO
Squad is a global engineering services firm. We help companies hire and manage high-performance remote engineering teams.

Flexport · Prev. VP Product
Flexport is the world's largest digital freight forwarder & customs brokerage. At the time, I was the youngest VP Product to scale a startup to unicorn status.

Modify Watches · Prev. Director of Technology
Show your style and bring your groups together by making custom watches. Modify was acquired by Custom Ink.

+ many additional projects which, perhaps unregrettably, no longer exist on the internet

Patents

Method and system for supply chain management
#11080652 · Nov 2017

Methods and systems for selecting an end to end freight service
#11257027 · Nov 2017

Media and Press

30 Under 30 2023 Honoree
Forbes · Profile · Nov 2022

A. Richard Newton Series Distinguished Innovator Lecture
UC Berkeley · Lecture · Feb 2022

A Tech CEO Used AI to Throw a Dinner Party
SF Standard · Profile · Feb 2023

Placement is the much-needed talent agent for jobseekers
TechCrunch · Profile · Nov 2019

Why ISAs Didn't Pan Out
Reshaping Education · Podcast · Aug 2022

Income-Share Agreements Aren't the Revolution We Thought They'd Be
EdSurge · Opinion · Mar 2022

SAP TechEd in 2021: Executive Keynote
SAP · Conference · Feb 2022

KRON4 Startups With Sanaz
KRON4 · Live Television · Mar 2021

Placement.com Rapidly Responds To Change With Render’s Cloud Infrastructure
Forbes · Profile · Mar 2021

Finding The Right Idea, Co-Founder, and Early Employees with Sean Linehan
Venture Stories · Podcast · July 2020

Sean Linehan, Co-Founder and CEO Placement
Square One: Conversations with the Best in Business · Podcast · June 2020

How freight master Flexport’s Ryan Petersen learned to CEO
TechCrunch · Quote · April 2020

Are Income Share Agreements the Future of Jobs in Tech?
BuiltIn · Profile · Feb 2020

Sean Linehan (Placement) On Job Placements
Forward Thinking Founders · Podcast · Nov 2019

Rollin’ toward new homies: Upstart talent agency promises to pair you with better jobs in new cities
The Hustle · Profile · Nov 2019

Economic Mobility, The “Experience Economy,” and The Future of Cities
Venture Stories · Podcast · Sep 2019

Specialized SaaS visibility supplanting end-to-end approach
JOC · Quoted · June 2019

Requests for Startups: Software Meet Physical World
Venture Stories · Podcast · May 2019

Not Just Your Freight Forwarder: Why the Future of Trade is a Social Network
LinkedIn · Opinion · Dec 2017

Berkeley seniors and founders of e-cigarette company talk entrepreneurial spirit at UC Berkeley
Venture Stories · Profile · April 2014

2 Bay Area College Student Enter Emerging E-Cigarette Industry
CBS · Live Television · Oct 2013

Berkeley Startup Competition finalists, including Back to the Roots and Modify, are announced
UC Berkeley · Competition · April 2012