Welcome Email - The Progress Report

Hey there!

Ford here. You signed up for The Progress Report, but I'll be honest - I've been putting off hitting "send" on this first email for way too long.

Here's why I finally decided to start writing:

After building Runway (our AI-powered hiring platform for early career talent), working with 400+ companies, and somehow gathering 150,000 followers on LinkedIn and 80,000 on Instagram, I keep getting asked the same questions:

• "How do you find and hire great early career talent?"
• "How can I continuously grow in my career?"
• "How did you build your personal brand while running a business?"
• "What mistakes should I avoid as a founder?"

Instead of answering these one-by-one in DMs, I figured it was time to share what I'm learning - the real stuff, not just the highlight reel.

What to Expect from The Progress Report

Every Thursday, I'll send you:

Career Growth Intel: Real hiring trends, leadership lessons I'm learning, and advice I wish someone had given me earlier to grow in my career

Behind-the-Scenes: What's actually working (and what's not) as we scale Runway from startup to platform

Industry Insights: Data from our work with 150+ universities, hundreds of employers, and thousands of college students/fresh grads about what's really happening in early career hiring

Quick Wins: Actionable strategies you can implement immediately to grow your business and career

Think of this as a weekly coffee chat where I share the unfiltered lessons from building in public.

A Quick Favor

Hit reply and tell me: What's your biggest challenge right now with hiring, career growth, or building your business?

I read every email (seriously), and your responses help me write content that actually matters to you.

The first real issue of The Progress Report goes out next Thursday. I'm covering "The 3 Hiring Mistakes That Cost Me $50K+ in Bad Hires" - lessons learned the expensive way.

Talk soon,

Ford Coleman
Founder, Runway

P.S. If you're hiring early career talent and want to see how our AI ranking tool works, try it free here. No strings attached - just curious to get your feedback.