Lukas Yla, a 25-year-old Lithuanian, came up with an unconventional way to get job interviews in Silicon Valley: he disguised himself as a delivery man and handed out boxes of donuts with his résumé inside. His story went viral and captured global attention.

A Donut Box as a Gateway to Marketing

Lukas Yla wasn’t your average job candidate. He traveled from Lithuania to San Francisco with a clear goal: to work at a tech startup as a marketing specialist. He knew that, to stand out in such a competitive environment as Silicon Valley, he had to do something radically different. The spark came after tasting a handcrafted donut from a well-known local bakery. That’s when his plan was born.

Yla made a list of his dream companies and the marketing executives he wanted to impress. Then, every morning for over a week, he stood in line to buy at least five boxes of donuts. Inside each box, he included a note that read: “Most resumes end up in trash. Mine – in your belly,” along with a printed résumé and a link to his LinkedIn profile.

But he didn’t just drop the boxes off like any other person. He dressed up as a delivery guy, made a homemade uniform, and personally appeared at the front desks of each company, pretending to make a food delivery. Sometimes, the receptionists passed the donuts directly to the head of marketing. Other times, the recipients came out to accept the package themselves, which allowed Lukas Yla to explain his real intent in person.

This bold approach worked. He delivered 50 boxes and landed at least 10 interviews. Executives appreciated his creativity and determination. However, he soon encountered an unexpected hurdle: his foreign background. Many interviewers doubted he was familiar enough with American culture to succeed in the local marketing world.

From Office Visits to Media Stardom

Far from giving up, Lukas Yla decided to turn his story into a media sensation. Using the same marketing skills he wanted to showcase, he reached out to relevant media outlets to amplify his story. The plan exceeded all expectations. He was interviewed on Good Morning America, featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and his stunt was replicated by thousands of people across social media.

El caso de Yla no fue el único. En años recientes, otros candidatos también recurrieron a tácticas poco convencionales: un pastel comestible enviado a Nike con el currículum horneado en su interior, solicitantes que crearon sus perfiles al estilo de una página de producto de Amazon, y profesionales que caminaron por las calles con carteles promocionando su experiencia laboral.

Yla’s case was not the only one. In recent years, other candidates have also turned to unconventional tactics: an edible cake sent to Nike with the résumé baked inside, applicants designing their profiles like Amazon product pages, and professionals walking the streets with signs advertising their experience.

These types of strategies don’t always guarantee a job, but they do help candidates stand out in a saturated market. In Lukas Yla’s case, while he didn’t land a job on the first try, his creativity and persistence positioned him as a brilliant marketing mind. Through his stunt, he demonstrated that he knows how to capture attention, tell a compelling story, and make a message go viral — exactly what any good marketer should be able to do.

Lukas Yla’s story is a clear example of how innovative thinking can break barriers in the job market. While there’s a thin line between clever and eccentric, sometimes it’s worth crossing. The traditional résumé is no longer the only tool to land a job — especially in creative and tech industries. Today, a donut box, a viral video, or a bold stunt can open more doors than a perfectly written cover letter.

Lukas Yla didn’t just land interviews — he inspired thousands to rethink how they present their talent. In an era of information overload, the key differentiator is simple: be memorable.

Reference:

• ABC/Man Scores 10 Interviews With Resume Delivered in a Box of Doughnuts. Link

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