Up-Leveling 0x Labs’ Leadership Team with VP Engineering and Head of Product
Overview
In early 2024, 0x Labs — a leading innovator in decentralized exchange infrastructure —faced a mission-critical talent challenge. Two pivotal leadership roles — VP of Engineering and Head of Product — remained unfilled. A previous search for the VP role had stalled. Meanwhile, 0x Labs was entering a new chapter: the core technical architecture had been overhauled, platform monetization was finally in reach, and new leadership was needed to accelerate execution. All of this occurred with the whispers of a potential upswing in the markets.
“We’re building decentralized exchange infrastructure for the internet so that all value can flow freely. It’s a huge, long-term ambition and we’ve built a strong team and product to realize that vision. The two gaps on our executive team meant we could fall behind schedule for our roadmap and team morale might erode. To lead the search, we wanted someone we could trust — both to execute and to understand our culture and values as founders. We trusted Jake and Bull Moose to jump in.”
— Will Warren (Co-CEO)
Bull Moose was brought in not just to kickstart the searches, but to land them—fast and precisely. We stepped in as embedded partners, aligning tightly with 0x’s executive team, recalibrating candidate profiles, and rebuilding the process from the ground up. With access to Slack, internal docs, and ATS systems, we operated as an extension of the company—running high-velocity searches while reinforcing strategy, alignment, and execution.
VP of Engineering: Accelerated Execution, Elite Talent
Challenge:
0x Labs needed a VP of Engineering who could hit the ground running—someone capable of managing and scaling a world-class team and meeting the standards of a deeply technical, high-trust culture. A previous firm had tried and stalled on the search, and the product roadmap was advancing without a dedicated engineering executive in place.
Approach:
We began by re-grounding the search: clarifying what had shifted in the role, stress-testing candidate archetypes, and aligning with the founders on which dimensions mattered most. From there, we launched a multi-channel sourcing and outreach campaign—coordinating efforts across internal networks, investor referrals, the founders themselves, and Bull Moose’s pipeline of pre-qualified talent.
By week two, we had re-launched the search and moved qualified candidates into late-stage conversations. We conducted four structured final-round interviews over one week, facilitating the entire process end-to-end — interview orchestration, debriefing, compensation strategy, and closing — enabling the panel to compare signals across archetypes. Within a month, we closed the search.
Results:
Rebuilt pipeline and ran final interviews within a month.
Offer closed swiftly following interviews
Hired Chris Braun: a high-integrity, high-energy leader with startup DNA, scale experience, platform depth, and proven leadership at Circle and RECUR.
“The 0x hiring experience was the best I have had in my career. You and the team were very responsive and kept me informed throughout the process. It challenged me and at the same time I was able to assess the opportunity quite deeply. The honesty and integrity that was shown by you and the 0x team meant a lot to me and was probably the single biggest reason I joined 0x. I couldn't be happier about my decision to join and I am very much appreciative of you finding this opportunity and being a true partner during the process.”
— Chris Braun (VP of Engineering)
Head of Product: Precision, Iteration, and Strategic Calibration
Challenge:
The founders knew they needed executive product leadership with fundamentals as strong as in Web2—but how to balance that with the depth of context required to build complex crypto products was less clear. They were looking for someone who understood and shared a passion for the mission and vision and could lead a team to execute ambitiously and coherently.
This search demanded a higher level of definition and alignment than most, requiring multiple rounds of calibration to refine the thesis. While the initial focus was on candidates from elite Web2 developer infrastructure and marketplace companies (e.g. Stripe, Uber, Airbnb, etc.), the profile evolved over time into a more nuanced picture of what 0x truly needed.
Approach:
We began with extensive discovery — interviewing founders, advisors, and peers to shape a highly calibrated interview process focused on essential product leadership competencies. We spent several weeks on calibration, surfacing profiles to the founders and discussing potential trade-offs of each archetype.
The founders took several weeks of coffee chats with benchmark candidates to refine their understanding of the market as well as their own internal needs. In addition, we tapped another crypto founder (and a former Head of Product) to provide feedback on the profile and best archetype. As we surfaced and talked with candidates, we gradually refined the profile, shifting focus from purely traditional Web2 product leadership experience toward those with some crypto curiosity and hands-on product management chops.
Results:
Developed a rigorous, founder-aligned interview rubric.
Developed a structured interview process that assessed key skills and characteristics and involved every key stakeholder across the business.
Shifted profile focus from purely Web2 leaders to crypto-fluent, 0 to 1 builders
Placed Thorsten Jaeckel, a standout candidate with a unique blend of product leadership experience at Square and 0 to 1 product execution at Coinbase.
“Jake and the Bull Moose team were awesome to work with. The process was super smooth and efficient, and they kept me in the loop the whole time. Things moved quickly but never felt rushed. They really understood what 0x was looking for and also took the time to explore what I wanted out of my next move, making sure it was a great fit on both sides.”
— Thorsten Jaeckel (Head of Product)
Embedded Partnership = Accelerated Trust and Outcomes
Our embedded model enabled us to act not just as recruiters, but as strategic partners to the founders:
Integrated access to internal tools, calendars, and Slack meant fewer handoffs and real-time updates.
Deep alignment with company mission and culture ensured candidates were vetted not only for skill but for fit.
High-touch experience throughout the funnel—from top-of-funnel outreach to offer negotiation—ensured a white-glove candidate experience that reflects 0x’s brand.
Impact
In less than six months, we helped 0x secure two foundational leaders:
An engineering executive who could scale infrastructure and build world-class teams.
A product leader who bridges crypto-native understanding with Web2 product excellence.
This engagement exemplifies our strength in:
White-glove, founder-aligned recruiting
Fast-moving, high-stakes searches
Deeply integrated, embedded partnerships
"In crypto, you need partners who understand that we're building for decades, not just the next market cycle. We've worked with the Bull Moose team across multiple searches because they share our values around building for the long-term. They don't just understand our business — they understand how we think and operate as founders, which allows them to be a true extension of our team."
— Will Warren (Co-CEO)
"Bull Moose ran a tight, organized, calibrated process that adapted to the needs of the moment. They understood the stakes and moved at founder speed without cutting corners, and they iterated with care as we partnered on the search together. That balance and thoughtfulness is why we trust them with our most critical leadership searches."
— Amir Bandeali (Co-CEO)
