I would hire a self-described asshole if he were honest and smart and took his craftsmanship seriously. I understand such a person might call himself an asshol

I would hire a self-described asshole if he were honest and smart and took his craftsmanship seriously. I understand such a person might call himself an asshole, but I don’t find that a useful descriptor. I would use the word “difficult.” You need to find tough people who like hearing the truth. Working with difficult people is okay in proportion to their value. Be valuable and you buy freedom in other dimensions. Nice people can be bad at their jobs because people like being around them (this explains a lot of terrible managers).