In a recent episode of TechCrunch's podcast, Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannessen engages with Sarah Lucena, the CEO and co-founder of Mappa. This innovative behavioral intelligence platform leverages voice AI to analyze human behavior in under a minute.
Lucena's inspiration for Mappa arose from her own challenges in assembling a marketing team. Despite hiring individuals with impressive qualifications, she often found that the reality did not align with expectations. "I was frustrated because I was hiring for what I thought were the right skills. It looked great on paper but didn't really work in real life," she explained.
Recognizing that traditional hiring methods often rely on superficial indicators like degrees and past experiences, Lucena sought a more effective approach. After years of research, she and her team developed a proprietary dataset derived from numerous interviews, enabling them to assess candidates based on behavioral biomarkers reflected in their speech patterns. This process revealed that successful hiring requires more than just a polished resume; it necessitates genuine compatibility.
Lucena emphasizes that no trait is inherently good or bad; rather, success depends on the context in which individuals are placed. "It's about what environment you put that person in and which roles align with their tendencies and styles," she stated during the podcast.
The Mappa team, comprised entirely of Latinx members, is passionate about addressing the biases that often lead to overlooked talent. Lucena describes her team as underdogs who relate deeply to the challenges of being judged based on superficial criteria.
"We are all underdogs. We have all been overlooked in some degree. That makes it even more crucial for us to be the ones building this technology," Lucena remarked. "Having people like us at the forefront of this innovation allows us to serve our clients effectively and opens doors for others to explore different paths in tech development."
For early-stage founders, Lucena advises a thoughtful approach to hiring. Taking the time to ensure compatibility from the outset can save the hassle of repeated hiring cycles for the same position.
