> so there's a real emphasis on only hiring perfect "A"s Most companies want those perfect "A"s. However, not all projects require perfect "A"s. In the startup

> so there's a real emphasis on only hiring perfect "A"s Most companies want those perfect "A"s. However, not all projects require perfect "A"s. In the startup world we like to pretend like our projects are technically demanding and require the best people. That's not necessarily so. Your project may be the hottest thing since sliced bread, but it may actually be boring from a technical perspective, in which case I would personally trade the qualities of a an A for good hard-working B+ programmers. Hiring bad apples can happen of course. However this can happen at all levels, regardless of background. Many superstars of our field achieved that status because they know how to market themselves. I've seen people really good at marketing, you know, walking the walk and talking the talk, with stellar resumes, but otherwise lazy and of dubious skill.