Gauging previous work of new joinees to the team 2 minutes read — 06 Dec 2024

I've been hiring people (and conducting more thorough reference checks) more recently now, and I've learned something important: most reference checks are useless. They're like those mandatory training videos you have to watch at big companies. Everyone goes through the motions, but nobody really learns anything. But it doesn't have to be this way. Reference checks can be incredibly valuable if...

Startups are a fertile ground for risk taking 2 minutes read — 07 Jan 2024

Startups are interesting even if most startups fail. I've found Patrick Collinson's argument to be the most convincing: "Part of the reason startups resonate with people is because the outcome is not guaranteed. If it were guaranteed, it would be boring… Whether or not you're the best person in the world at what you do, you're probably not going to alter Google's trajectory. But if you really...