Startup Boston Week Speaker Sneak Peek: Valka.AI’s Jason Wu on Designing Unbiased Interviews, Hiring, and Job Searching

What does an “unbiased interview” mean? What does it take to put one together?

Jason Wu plans on tackling this topic during his panel, "Your Interviews Are Running on Vibes: Designing Unbiased Interviews," at the 10th Annual Startup Boston Week. Jason, who’s a people and operations leader, has hired across both startups and global organizations.  

Before making his third appearance at Startup Boston Week, Jason sat down with us to chat about his career path, advice for employers and potential employees in this job market, tips for the week itself, and more. 

Startup Boston (SB): What first got you interested in a people and operations path? Was it something you set out to do?

Jason Wu (JW): I'd say like a lot of people, I fell into it. I was thinking about being like an organizational psychologist and then I thought about what other things are out there. Human resources seemed to be the most relevant to that. Over time, human resources has blended in very nicely with operations. 

SB: You've worked in various size organizations. What's that been like? Is there anything different between startups and global organizations? Excluding size, what are some of the differences or actually are they very similar in the end?

JW: This is like the age-old, big-company, startup-type of question.

I enjoyed my time at larger companies because essentially you're dealing with scale and understanding how scale happens is cool. Having more authority to do these impactful things is also great to be a part of. 

What I enjoy about being at a smaller company is having these short fence posts so if I need to hop over to do something else, I can. Having that exposure where there's a bit more visibility into what other people are doing is great.

SB: When it comes to founders, what is something you wish they understood about the hiring process?  

JW: In the U.S., I've worked with a couple of pairs of founders. What I really need them to know, not just about the hiring process, but the relationship between executives and workers is that everyone is an at-will employee. I’ve had the conversation with them that even though they’ve got this idea they believe in, they have to understand that other people need to believe in this, too. If they are not feeling seen and or are not enjoying how things are being done, there’s the risk they’ll leave.

There is a certain set of expectations on both sides. Let's try to set expectations accordingly. Not everyone is going to get everything that they want. It's getting to a place where we are professional in the workplace and continue forward with what folks can handle and prioritize.

SB: Continuing with this topic, the hiring process (for both employers and potential employees) is experiencing lots of headwinds. What is some advice you would offer both employers and potential employees? 

JW: Let's go with job seekers first. At the end of the day, in my opinion, it is still a bit of a numbers game. This is very different from 10 or 12 years ago, where the general advice was to put together a list of employers that you would love to work for and distill it into a Venn diagram. Add in what you bring, what does the employer bring, and what part of your personal and professional life is aligned with that company. I think that’s still great to do to a certain extent because everyone should feel like where they work is aligned with their certain values and aspirations.

But that should not be all that you were doing. For job seekers, there needs to be a balance in the ponds you are fishing in. The other area is taking some time to do networking. 

I will be the first person to say that networking can be challenging. At the end of the day, it is still good to talk to people and share ideas. Everyone has their own social battery and taste for that sort of thing. I try to go to a couple a month. 

There is something powerful about going out, getting drinks, and talking with people who are in that sort of world, too. 

Do a little bit of everything. When I say that, that means also finding time for your own sanity. 

SW: And the employer side?

JW: For the employer side, when it comes down to it is managing the numbers and trying to be human along the way.

Try to be good about sending updates. Candidates are going to get back to you. It doesn't take too long to get back to them, but at the same time not feeling down if you miss something. If it's a numbers game one way, it's also a numbers game the other way. Give yourself some grace. If I were to get back to, say, 20 people in an applicant pipeline that does take up a lot of time.

SW: You're part of the panel, "Your Interviews Are Running on Vibes: Designing Unbiased Interviews." What is one thing you hope the audience will take away from this discussion?

JW: I think there are levels of bias versus unbiased. I think a lot of the discourse around unbiased interviews over the years has been about giving everyone a fair shot. Are you asking everybody the same questions? 

In my personal opinion, I always think interviews will have some sort of bias in them. I don’t mean biased in the egregious forms. I mean biased in terms of ‘Can you do the job?’ 

When you have interview questions that are like, ‘Have you done what we are doing before?’ No matter what size company you're at, there’s ultimately going to be bias. Job seekers are going to bias their answers towards, ‘Yes, I have done something similar before.’

When we talk about designing an unbiased interview, I want people to take away from this is to focus on what you need the person to do. You want to get a good, consistent, reliable, and valid account of what they can do.

Taking the time to write a good job description will save you a lot of headaches down the line, when it comes to the type of candidate you're really looking for because that will cut through the noise.

SB: You've spoken at Startup Boston Week in 2023 and 2024. This is going to be your third time. Why do you want to be part of Startup Week?

JW: I think it is a huge testament to what Stephanie has built in the Northeast. Outside of New York, there are pretty big talent communities that do not have access to this sort of thing.

They bring together companies of various sizes, and I think that bringing everyone together is important. This large startup event brings together students and industry at various levels that’s free. Huge hats off to Steph and her team for doing that. 

SB: Lastly, what piece of advice would you share with someone attending Startup Boston Week?

JW: A piece of advice I have for networking events is to have a purpose. Speak to a few people in your industry to answer some questions or get perspective. If you try to do a little bit of everything, it's very draining on you as a person, but also you're ultimately not going to get as much as you would want out of that. 

Set a purpose and have three questions you want to ask everybody you come across. I would not go there just on vibes. Make a beeline for that thing that will get you energized for the rest of the week, but also afterwards.

Get Your Questions Ready September 14–18 for Startup Boston Week 2026 

Jason will be speaking as part of an action-packed week, with over 250 speakers and more than 120 sessions. The week-long conference provides an opportunity for connection, learning, and inspiration for Greater Boston’s startup ecosystem. 

Looking for answers to everything startup? Snag a free ticket and swing by Boston University and Downtown Crossing. Whether you’re a founder, operator, or just startup curious, you’ll find the people, resources, and insights to help you take the next step.

About the author: Kathleen Ohlson is a Boston-based content writer with a background as a high-tech writer and storyteller. With a passion for creating content that resonates with audiences, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.