Summary:
Golden Ventures’ Alison Kaizer joins host Anita Chauhan to talk about why early-stage founders keep hiring the wrong people, and how to fix it. From AI aptitude to structured interviews to CV-free hiring, this quick-hit episode challenges every old rule of recruiting.

You’ll Learn:
• Why resume and pedigree bias still plague startups.
• How AI aptitude outweighs tenure and titles.
• The difference between experience and problem-solving ability.
• How to build a CV-free interview loop that actually works.
• When human judgment matters most.

About the Guest:
Alison Kaizer is Partner at Golden Ventures, working hands-on with founders to build category-defining teams from pre-seed through Series B.

About Willo / Looks Good on Paper:
A Willo podcast about the future of hiring—hosted by Anita Chauhan. Real stories, better hires. willo.video |

Watch & subscribe:
🎥 YouTube
💡 Follow Willo → https://www.willo.video
💬 LinkedIn

Chapter Markers
00:00 Intro – Golden Ventures + the big question
01:13 Resume bias & the pedigree trap
03:45 Seniority bias in the AI era
05:40 How AI aptitude beats years on paper
07:59 Human judgment vs automation in hiring
09:07 Designing CV-free interview structures
14:10 The hire who proved the resume wrong
17:08 Values & passion as the real signal
17:45 Wrap – Keep it human

Show Resources

• Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time
• CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments
• Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan - Connect with the host