Sidedoor

What it does

Sidedoor is a free tool that helps you find personal connections who can refer you to a job. By pasting a job link, it searches your network across Gmail, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Outlook, and even friends' connections to identify people who work at that company or similar ones. The goal is to uncover referral opportunities you might not have known existed.

Who it is for

Sidedoor is designed for job seekers who want to leverage their existing network to get a referral, increasing their chances of getting hired. It's especially useful for people who may not realize they know someone at a target company or who want to explore connections beyond their immediate LinkedIn network.

Why it matters

Referrals significantly boost hiring chances—over 50% of hires involve a referral, and referred candidates are 9x more likely to get hired. Sidedoor makes it easy to find these connections without manual searching, potentially saving time and uncovering hidden opportunities.

Launch signal

Sidedoor is currently available as a free tool from Happenstance. The website provides a simple interface to paste a job URL and get results. There is no information about funding, user numbers, or launch date in the available material.

Brand and naming

The name "Sidedoor" cleverly references the idea of getting in through a side entrance—i.e., via a referral rather than the front door of a standard application. It's memorable and directly conveys the value proposition. The brand is positioned as a helpful, free tool that surprises users with the connections they already have.