Timeplot · Cohort Signal · Issue 004
The most-traded private companies
are hiring in opposite directions
Open job postings across the Setter 30 · January 1 to July 10, 2026
Companies tracked
28
most-traded private companies
Defense & space
+63%
open roles, January to July 2026
Fintech & crypto
-39%
open roles, January to July 2026
Biggest single cut
-164
Deel, 425 to 261
Four sectors, two directions
Open roles by sector, indexed to 100 on January 1, 18 companies
Defense & space
AI & software
Fintech & crypto
Hardware & frontier tech
Who is adding roles, who is cutting
Net change per company: roles open on July 10 minus roles open on January 1
What a billion dollars of valuation hires
Latest valuation (log scale) against open roles now
Defense & space
AI & software
Fintech & crypto
Hardware & frontier tech
What the data says
- Defense and AI carry the basket. Defense and space open roles rose 63% from January to July and AI and software rose 43%, led by Anduril (+1,104).
- The fintech and crypto favorites are shrinking. Deel (-164), Kraken (-123), and Lambda (-62) all cut open roles; the sector is down 39% as a group.
- Valuation and hiring have decoupled. Kalshi, valued at $22B, posts 13 open roles, while Anduril, valued at $60B, posts more open roles than SpaceX at twenty times its valuation.
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Source: Timeplot, based on job postings from companies on the Setter 30 list (Q1 2026 edition). Data covers January 1 to July 10, 2026.
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