Why Reel starts with conversations I knew Reel was worth building after the first three conversations.
In October 2025, I had a free afternoon in the city and asked LinkedIn if anyone wanted to test a conversation-based approach to hiring. Fifteen people volunteered. I could only meet with three, so we made plans for a coffee shop the next day.
The next day brought one of the biggest downpours I'd ever seen in New York. Subways flooded. It was all over the news. All three people still showed up. Two of them hugged me afterward. I'll never forget it.
Those first conversations made the idea real. People shared context, judgment, and capability that had never made it onto the page of a resume. Reel has kept learning from conversations ever since. Now I'm testing how that information can help companies understand changing work and make better workforce and matching decisions.