Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Sipe.
Hi Jeff, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The work part of my life, like many others, has taken a lot of twists and turns over the years. Most of my career has been in recruiting. I spent time as both an agency recruiter and a corporate recruiter, including five years at Google in Silicon Valley. One simple fact has stayed consistent throughout that journey: having strong interview skills is life changing, and surprisingly achievable.
Let’s flash back to early 2018. I was burnt out and simply didn’t want to be a recruiter anymore. So I quit my high-paying job at Google without a plan. The only clear thought I had was that I wanted control back. I didn’t want anyone telling me what to do ever again. The only way to make that happen was to start my own business and become my own boss.
After traveling around the world for six months, my wife and I settled into a small rental with an ocean view in South Kihei, Maui. And still, there was no plan. Then on October 9th, 2018, I watched a YouTube video with over 10 million views that gave terrible interview advice. I thought, “I can do better than that.” So I threw on a hat, stepped onto my windy lanai, and filmed an even worse interview advice video.
I figured maybe I was onto something, so I started creating content, and nobody watched. I begged my family and friends to comment and like my videos, and even with their help, I was getting only a handful of views. Seventy videos and five months later, the YouTube algorithm finally rewarded my persistence. One video started trending, and that’s when my business was born.
People began commenting and asking for help with their job search, especially interviews. In May 2019, I took on my first client, and since then, I’ve conducted thousands of one-on-one coaching sessions.
The more I coached, the more I noticed patterns. Smart, capable people were struggling, not because they lacked skills, but because they couldn’t communicate clearly under pressure. Interviews are stressful, and most people never get structured feedback. Over the years, I’ve seen how small tweaks in preparation can lead to incredible results.
One of the most interesting parts of my journey has been discovering the science behind why my coaching works. I became fascinated by how the brain processes information. Without realizing it at first, I was applying cognitive psychology, breaking complex skills into smaller, more manageable parts and giving feedback in focused chunks. That principle became my guiding philosophy: when you make learning smaller, people learn faster and feel less overwhelmed.
Along the way, I built a successful online course, launched and shut down a corporate arm of my business that took a year to build and made zero dollars, and then, two years ago, I started building an AI-native software platform. The goal was to take that same chunking concept and apply it through technology, to give users a way to practice, get feedback, and actually improve in a structured, low-stress way.
The software journey has been challenging, to say the least. There are times when the technology doesn’t cooperate, and being self-funded means every monthly check to my development team stings a bit. There have been moments when I questioned whether to keep going. But every time, I come back to the same belief: I’m close to creating something that will have a massive impact.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Looking back, my career has taken more turns than I ever expected. I’ve gone from working at large corporations to startups, from recruiting to coaching, and now to running a tech company. Each shift came with its own learning curve and plenty of moments where I wondered if I’d made the right decision.
When I left Google, I thought building something on my own would mean freedom. What I didn’t realize is that freedom comes with a lot of responsibility. I had to learn how to run a business, build a following, and later, manage software development, without a background in engineering! Every mistake is expensive, every delay is frustrating, and every breakthrough is typically coupled with a setback.
Funding everything myself has been both empowering and painful. There’s no safety net and no investor to call when things get tough. Every dollar I spend feels personal, and every technical issue lands squarely on my shoulders. And those challenges have also forced me to grow. I’ve learned to think long-term, stay patient, and trust that progress takes way longer than people think and you have to make a million mistakes along the way.
More than anything, I’ve learned that smooth roads lead to places that already exist. The rough ones are where the building is still happening. The bumps and setbacks have shaped everything I’m building now. And even though it’s been hard, I wouldn’t trade the lessons for anything because they’re the reason I’ve been able to keep going.
As you know, we’re big fans of Practice Interviews. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Practice Interviews provides three core services:
1. 1:1 Coaching:
Personalized coaching for individuals who need help with job interviews, compensation negotiations, and career strategy. This often includes resume refinement, LinkedIn optimization, and networking strategies.
2. Online Interview Course:
A 25-module course covering the foundational skills of interviewing, from company research and behavioral questions to hypothetical scenarios and interview-day preparation. The course was updated in October 2024 to include how to prepare using AI.
3. AI-Native Practice Interview Software:
Our software includes two main components: the ability to practice and receive feedback on common, behavioral, and hypothetical questions, and an Interview Academy that pairs feedback with short videos on how to learn and improve.
I’m probably most well-known for my YouTube channel (68,000 subscribers), where I share content on all things related to finding and landing a job. My most watched videos, not surprisingly, focus on how to get hired at Google. I’m also active on LinkedIn (47,000 followers), where I post frequently about job search strategies. Some of my blog posts have gone viral as well, often ranking first on Google for topics related to interviews and career development.
Another area where people recognize my work is through the CFAS Method. Most people know the STAR Method for behavioral interview questions, but many companies also ask hypothetical questions. To make those tougher questions easier to answer, I created CFAS, a method built around the same chunking principles that power my teaching and software.
I’m most proud of building a brand from scratch and delivering content that’s genuinely different. What I want readers to know is that chunking will change the way they learn. It helps people improve faster and with less stress by focusing on one small improvement at a time, and it’s all backed by science.
My content has reached people all over the world, and I’ve received thousands of comments from individuals who landed their dream jobs after applying what they learned. Ninety-nine percent of them learned for free. I’m just the guide, they’re the heroes. They did the hard work, practiced, and turned advice into results. That’s what keeps me going every day!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I was always highly extroverted and social. Sports! I was a sports addict from a very young age, I would play anything, and never needed to be asked twice. And since I grew up within 20 miles of Fenway Park, the Boston Garden, and Foxboro, where the Patriots play, sports was a huge part of my childhood. I was never the best athlete, student, or most popular kid. I always tried my best to be kind and my parents instilled a strong foundation of community service and understanding that growing up with a roof over your head and food on the table was an absolute blessing!
Pricing:
- Software Monthly – ( $17.13 / $28.55 )
- Software Yearly – ( $143.88 / $239.88 )
- Interview/Career Coaching – $497
- Negotiation Coaching – $1497
- Interview Course – $347
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.practiceinterviews.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhsipe/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeffhsipepi
