Retained and executive search | SaaS and software product | South Africa
Most SaaS companies have never seen a talent pool built for them from the actual market.
They have been choosing from a fraction of it.
Most SaaS hiring starts the same way. A post goes out, the network gets asked, a few recruiters who work across multiple industries get involved. For many roles that is enough. For the roles where it is not, the same pattern produces the same result: months pass, the profiles that surface are plausible but not right, and the role stays open longer than the business can afford.
Progressive Edge works exclusively in SaaS, payments and software product companies. We have spent years mapping this talent ecosystem, and with the help of AI, mapping software and investment in data and technology, we have organised our data in a way that allows us to search in ways that portals and LinkedIn searches cannot replicate. Every engagement runs as a standalone project with full attention from brief to close. We reach candidates who would not have surfaced any other way, and take informed conversations to them about why your role might be worth considering.
Extensive experience within SaaS & software product markets
niche focus
Well developed
Software product and leadership networks
The work
Built for your market specifically.
We work on high-level mid, senior, lead, management and executive roles across technology, product, sales, marketing, finance, operations, and customer success. Every engagement gets its own map, its own crafted outreach plan, its own structured process.
Most companies do not know how accurate a talent pool can be when it is built by someone who has spent years mapping that specific market, who can reach candidates who are not looking, and who knows how to position an opportunity in a way that makes the right person genuinely consider it. The talent pool most companies see is a fraction of what is available. We build from the full picture.
The process
We take the role off your hands. Completely.
From the moment you brief us, we run it. We map the relevant section of the market, build a longlist from real suitability criteria, approach candidates individually with outreach built around why this specific opportunity is worth considering, and conduct structured interviews before anything comes to you. We then manage candidates through your process, support the offer, and see the engagement through to a signed start date.
Who we can help
Founders. Executives. Boards and investors. If hiring is on your agenda, this is built for you.
We work with scale-ups and enterprise SaaS companies. The stakes are different at each stage, the briefs are different, and we run the search accordingly.
- Companies with a complex, layered hiring need that requires a specific combination of SaaS knowledge, industry exposure, technical background, or commercial experience that standard recruitment processes have not been able to surface.
- Companies with multiple hiring needs who want them handled with focus and precision, right the first time.
- Leaders committed to a quality process and a genuine partnership, with the goal of improving the calibre of their hires and building talent density over time.
- Leaders who want recruitment handled properly so that their teams can focus on other things while an accurate talent pool is being built for them, right the first time.
- Hiring managers who need a partner who understands the nuance of their market, their industry, their scaling stage, and can apply that understanding directly to the search.
- Companies who recognise the value of a talent partner with the market influence to locate, engage and interest people who are thriving in their current roles and would not have considered moving without a well-positioned conversation.
- Companies who understand the difference between a reactive hire and an intentionally built talent pool, and want the latter.
This is not the right fit if:
You are looking for contingency recruitment with no upfront commitment.
Your business is outside SaaS, software product, payments, or AI product.
We work with scale-ups and enterprise SaaS companies. The stakes are different at each stage, the briefs are different, and we run the search accordingly.
Common questions
What people ask before they reach out.
Does this cost more than standard recruitment?
Our Retained Search fees are comparable to standard recruitment. The difference is the model. We work with committed clients only, and that commitment is what allows us to invest the focus and depth the search requires. Our Executive Search service is a more comprehensive offering and does cost a little more.
What about roles that are not at executive level?
For non-executive roles we offer a retained search service. The same mapped market, the same research foundation, adapted for the role level. Because we work exclusively in one niche, we can keep our fees comparable to standard recruitment while maintaining a quality process. We work with committed clients only on this model.
How long does a placement take?
We aim for eight weeks from debrief to close. Some roles move faster and some need a little extra. Executive searches can take a little longer.
What roles do you recruit for?
All roles that make up a SaaS or software product business: technology, product, sales, marketing, finance, customer success, and operations. We take on high-level mid, senior, leadership, and executive roles. For junior to mid-level roles, we work selectively with existing clients. We do not take on junior roles for new clients unless engaged across multiple roles.
Will you take on any engagement?
No. We use our experience to assess each company’s need, expectations, and budget, and where these do not align with what our process can deliver, we will say so. We would rather decline an engagement than run a search that is not set up to produce a good outcome.
How do I find out more?
Book an exploratory conversation. Fifteen minutes to establish whether our process is the right fit for your current or upcoming need.
Start here
You already know what a better hire would change. Let's go and find them.
Book a conversation if you have an active or upcoming hiring need and want to explore whether Progressive Edge is the right fit for it.