our mission
We started lateral to be the recruiting partner that founding teams truly need. Driven by a passion for technology and a commitment to creating real value for builders, we offer an alternative to brute-force recruiting models that struggle to meet the unique demands of the ML space.
We’re not just filling roles—we’re building exceptional teams and laying the foundation for your long-term growth.
Our approach delivers specialized support for niche technical roles while helping you solve problems and build sustainable hiring practices along the way. Acting as an authentic extension of your team, we embrace your core values and represent your company with integrity. We align our incentives with yours, investing in your success and sharing the results.
approach
Following a decade of building teams at top AI labs, lateral flips our experience into a strategic hiring advantage for startups. We deliver tailored hiring solutions as an extension of your team, combining rigorous search practices with the agility of an agency to drive fast, sustainable growth.
Competition for talent is intense, and finding great candidates is only one aspect of a successful hiring strategy. Our team is widely recognized for its domain expertise in ML recruiting and for maintaining strong relationships and credibility with top-tier talent—critical factors for hiring successfully. lateral not only delivers exceptional candidates, but also offers review and revisions of your end-to-end hiring processes. We aim to help you build reliable mechanisms and implement best practices early, ensuring your processes are robust and built for scale.
models
ML is our specialty, but we have a track record of hiring the top 1% across the entire tech stack. Titles are arbitrary these days—we cover every key ML function and adjacent areas, from ICs to leadership. Whether it's fundamental research, product, infrastructure, or engineering, we provide reliable support across a diverse spectrum of ML skill sets, sub-domains, and areas of application.
embedded technical search
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Retainer-based, comprehensive hiring and process support.
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Serve as your fractional recruiting function, or work closely with your existing team.
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Provide advisory services and elevate your employer brand.
contingent technical search
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Add more great talent to your pipeline.
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Fast and flexible, there when you need us.
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Low upfront cost—pay the rest after successful hires.
team build-out
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0-1 multidisciplinary team builds.
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Rapid deployment of resources to hit urgent hiring goals.
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Human capital and systems consulting / implementation.
Embedded Technical Search
Our core offering for earlier-stage companies is retained technical search. Think the depth and rigor of executive search, but for niche ML research and engineering roles—just way faster, and with more energy and creativity.
Transparent and Predictable Pricing
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Benchmarked: We start with industry standards of 20-30% of first-year cash compensation per hire.
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Tailored: Adjustments are made based on your hiring needs, project duration, and average compensation.
Contingent Technical Search
Our core offering for earlier-stage companies is retained technical search. Think the depth and rigor of executive search, but for niche ML research and engineering roles—just way faster, and with more energy and creativity.
Transparent and Predictable Pricing
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Benchmarked: We start with industry standards of 20-30% of first-year cash compensation per hire.
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Tailored: Adjustments are made based on your hiring needs, project duration, and average compensation.
our approach
Our approach provides an alternative to the outdated, metrics-driven, and poorly incentivized recruiting models that have characterized the industry for decades. We offer specialized hiring support for niche technical roles while helping to establish sustainable hiring practices that empower teams to reduce reliance on agencies over time.
meet our team
Robert Infantino
Founder & CEO
Andy Nardone
Operations & Research
Brandon Higgins
Principal Recruiter
Will Mayfield
Principal Recruiter
