This took me 10 years to learn, I’ll teach it to you in 5 minutes.
Stop trying to hire the “smartest” people (and why you should focus on these superpowers instead):
Matt Gray got this right. Here’s what you need to know.
After building companies for over a decade, I realized chasing A-players with sky-high IQs was the wrong formula.
Fixating on a candidate’s IQ overlooks all the other valuable traits not measurable by a number.
There are far better predictors of success:
Teammates with varied strengths and thinking styles outperform individual A-players who only look out for themselves.
In my hiring funnel, I care more about value alignment than pure credentials or intellect.
You need a united team rowing in the same direction.
That starts with shared values.
Raw intelligence wasn’t my secret sauce.
Resilience and the willingness to go against the grain was.
I care way more about mindset than credentials. Give me someone hungry to master new skills over an Ivy League one-trick pony any day.
I want to fuel growth, not egos.
I want free thinkers who enjoy life, get stuff done, and want to grow together on my team. People with:
- A sense of humor
- Ownership and drive
- Grit and perseverance
Building is 1000x more fun with weapons who avoid drama and trust each other.
I also want people crazy enough to bet on themselves and their vision when the world thinks they’re nuts…
…yet who also have the humility to understand that there’s always a lot to learn.
One of my favorite interview questions:
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your level of weirdness? Why?"
Normalize being yourself.
Groupthink stifles innovation. Diverse perspectives breed brilliant solutions.
You want to foster an environment where speaking up and risk-taking is encouraged.
I tell my team: “Disagree often and debate openly, but stay aligned on the mission."
And for seamless cooperation, communication is oxygen.
See how well candidates actively listen, ask good questions, and convey complex ideas simply.
Can they put themselves in others' shoes?
The ability to empathize and communicate unlocks team intelligence.
And for seamless cooperation, communication is oxygen.
See how well candidates actively listen, ask good questions, and convey complex ideas simply.
Can they put themselves in others' shoes?
The ability to empathise and communicate unlocks team intelligence.
Raw smarts are overvalued.
I want people with grit, passion for learning, responsibility, and decent human values.
United by a shared vision, my band of misfits will outperform any group of individual A-players.
As Steve Jobs said:
"It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."
Focus on the right type of smart.
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