Episode #55: Dustin Talley - Founder - Direct Collective
Fri Jan 23 2026
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2026 kicks off with an awesome new episode of Hiring University with guest Dustin Talley, founder of Direct Collective.
Big takeaway: the market isn’t shrinking, it’s shifting. And the mid-market is where the action is: less noise, more opportunity, and a real need for leaders and partners who can help programs level up.
We also hit on the following topics during this episode:
Self-managed vs. MSP (and why more programs are moving in-house)AI reality vs. hype. Enterprises move slowly, and partners are expected to bring innovationThe hard truth about “partnership”: it isn’t a tagline, it’s behavior, trust, and showing up when things get hard For more Hiring University episodes tune into your favorite podcast player or visit us at www.ursusinc.com
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Send us a text 2026 kicks off with an awesome new episode of Hiring University with guest Dustin Talley, founder of Direct Collective. Big takeaway: the market isn’t shrinking, it’s shifting. And the mid-market is where the action is: less noise, more opportunity, and a real need for leaders and partners who can help programs level up. We also hit on the following topics during this episode: Self-managed vs. MSP (and why more programs are moving in-house)AI reality vs. hype. Enterprises move slowly, and partners are expected to bring innovationThe hard truth about “partnership”: it isn’t a tagline, it’s behavior, trust, and showing up when things get hard For more Hiring University episodes tune into your favorite podcast player or visit us at www.ursusinc.com