Brett Johnson
Background
- Associated with "Gauntlet" organization
- Appears to be in a leadership or sales role at Gauntlet
- Described as "the guy from Gauntlet" and "sales guy"
- Recently had a call with Gary Sheng
Professional Role
- Works at Gauntlet, which appears to be a technical recruitment or talent placement company
- Based at Gauntlet HQ in Austin, Texas
- Focuses on connecting tech companies with engineering talent
- Has potential to establish commission structures for referrals or placements
- May be involved in defining hiring partnerships with tech companies
- Potentially connected to developer relations opportunities in the Austin tech scene
Relevance to Alpha
- Gauntlet works with tech companies that could also be targets for Alpha's corporate campus schools initiative
- Potential opportunity for dual-purpose outreach: tech companies as both Gauntlet clients and Alpha school hosts
- Potential employer/partner for Tim Joo in a part-time capacity alongside his Alpha work
- Natural alignment between Gauntlet's tech company relationships and Alpha's corporate campus strategy
Collaboration Opportunities
- Gary has proposed that Tim could work part-time with Gauntlet while pursuing corporate campus schools for Alpha
- Potential commission structure for Tim when making introductions or securing hiring partnerships
- Mutual benefit scenario where tech company relationships serve both Gauntlet and Alpha interests
- Possibility for Tim to represent Gauntlet informally while structuring a more formal arrangement
Potential Next Steps
- Gary to facilitate connection between Tim Joo and Brett to discuss commission structure
- Define parameters for Tim to represent Gauntlet at tech meetups and networking events
- Establish guidelines for which leads would be Gauntlet-focused vs. Alpha-focused
- Create formal or informal agreement regarding Tim's dual role
Recent Interactions
- May 14, 2025: Gary spoke with Brett on the phone, leading to the idea of Tim working part-time with Gauntlet
- November 17, 2025: In-person meeting at Gauntlet HQ in Austin, Texas. Discussion covered developer relations opportunities, faith and spiritual matters, and personal life updates
Key Quotes
"I just got off a phone call with Brett Johnson... And I really think that I could get you like, a part time job at Gauntlet." - Gary Sheng to Tim Joo
"It's a great way to have this free money if you can help secure a gauntlet... hiring partners." - Gary Sheng
Strategic Value
Brett and Gauntlet represent a strategic relationship that could help Alpha in multiple ways:
- Providing Tim with additional income stream while pursuing the same target companies
- Creating natural introductions to tech company leadership
- Giving Tim additional credibility when approaching tech companies ("I can help you in multiple ways")
- Potentially accelerating Alpha's access to tech company decision-makers
Notes
The relationship with Brett Johnson appears to be in early stages, with Gary having just spoken with him shortly before the transcript conversation. However, Gary seems confident that an arrangement could be made for Tim to work with Gauntlet on a commission basis.
The proposed relationship would leverage the natural overlap between tech companies needing engineering talent (Gauntlet's focus) and tech companies that might be interested in hosting corporate campus schools (Alpha's initiative).
Gary encouraged Tim to begin acting as though he already represents Gauntlet, suggesting that the relationship is informal but promising enough that Gary believes it can be formalized retroactively: "I would even say pretend that you are already approved... And then, like, retro or not even retroactively over the next two weeks, we can align with Brett on, like, a commission strategy."
Transcripts
| Transcript ID | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-17-gauntlet-hq-spiritual-discussion | 2025-11-17 | Faith, career, and personal updates conversation at Gauntlet HQ |