4 ms·

Good question. One of the things I do is ask potential employees to HONESTLY list several specific things they DISLIKE and/or HATE about our business (either t

by Shooter 19y ago

Good question. One of the things I do is ask potential employees to HONESTLY list several specific things they DISLIKE and/or HATE about our business (either the business model or the actual implementation.) Every business has warts, so it shouldn't be too hard to find some. If the business in question is a complete startup or is in 'stealth mode', I ask them to list things they dislike about the general industry we're operating in. I want to hire employees that are honest and will work to improve our business. Asking this question helps me screen for brown-nosers, it leads to the obvious follow-up question of how they would change things to improve them, and it also really gives me an insight into how they think. It also shows me how much research they've done and how much industry knowledge they have. I've actually created new positions for people based on their answers to this question...it can be really enlightening. You just have to be genuine in wanting to hear their answers and you have to have a thick skin.

vlad 19y ago
Wow, great answer. I didn't really understand where you were coming from in that "how do I spend my money" thread, but this post shows how it came about. I wanted to suggest in that thread that maybe you should use your greatest asset--the knowhow about creating startups--to help others prepare their YCombinator application or similar activity. By helping young people create startups (or make their YCombinator application as good as it can be) you will help create jobs and solutions to save everybody time and money, or socialize better, or entertain everybody with better and better startups.
- Shooter 19y ago
  RE: [I didn't really understand where you were coming from in that "how do I spend my money" thread...] At the risk of hijacking this thread, I made that "Are you going to change the world" post after being up for 28 hours. I rambled too much and I see how easy it was to lose the trail. I actually only had a very brief, passing thought about going to medical school which I quickly discounted, for example, yet some people thought that was the core issue of my post. I also have zero interest in DONATING my money to charity at this point, yet some people thought that was a core issue of my post. Medical research and charity were red herrings for some people who read the post. I'm interested in social entrepreneurship, not charity. I also have tons of my own ideas and have no trouble spending my money (on business or pleasure)...but I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, because I can only implement so many ideas myself. Interestingly, some people also thought I was having a huge identity crisis based on my post, which is not the case. I apparently injected too many specifics in the post... Some people that commented on that thread actually helped me crystallize my thoughts better, though: 1. "Software is powerful. Engineers are powerful." (via falsestprophet) To this I would add that youth and inexperience are also powerful. And they are also the people most likely to underestimate their power and their ability to change the world for the better. 2. There are people changing the world with your skillset RIGHT NOW. To think that you can't do anything is a cop-out. (via altay, falsestprophet, Hexayurt, and others) 3. "If you are not working on the most pressing issues in your field...why not?" "If you are not tacking the biggest problem you can tackle with your skillset, why not?" As someone pointed out, everything has an opportunity cost. The true CORE idea of my post was to prompt people to examine those opportunity costs and weigh whether they are working on something that will have the biggest positive impact, versus just working in a hot field (or on pedestrian ideas that they think they can flip for cash.) In sum, don't settle. 4. Changing the world for the better doesn't have to involve curing cancer or saving the lives of African children. Again, I may have thrown out a red herring with the medical stuff. If you are saving people time and money, then that's great. But, even then, is it THE optimal solution? Etc. Etc.
  - axiom 19y ago
    How come you always apologize for your posts, when they are always so awesome? :) I really enjoy reading what you have to say. Keep it up.
run4yourlives 19y ago
Something tells me you've got some great people working for you. :-)
german 19y ago
Good question axiom , great answer Shooter! I will just add that resumes could be tricky so the interviews are critical, I would look for Creativity, for me that's the most valuable thing in a startup (of course if the person you are hiring has the basic knowledge for the job). In addition to Shooters question I would ask: How can we do it better? Hope it helps.
alex_c 19y ago
I'm a big fan of open-ended questions in interviews, and this is a great one - assuming the candidate can be expected to have enough background knowledge to answer it. Thanks, added it to my mental list of interview questions :)

by Shooter 19y ago

vlad 19y ago

Wow, great answer. I didn't really understand where you were coming from in that "how do I spend my money" thread, but this post shows how it came about. I wanted to suggest in that thread that maybe you should use your greatest asset--the knowhow about creating startups--to help others prepare their YCombinator application or similar activity. By helping young people create startups (or make their YCombinator application as good as it can be) you will help create jobs and solutions to save everybody time and money, or socialize better, or entertain everybody with better and better startups.

Shooter 19y ago
RE: [I didn't really understand where you were coming from in that "how do I spend my money" thread...] At the risk of hijacking this thread, I made that "Are you going to change the world" post after being up for 28 hours. I rambled too much and I see how easy it was to lose the trail. I actually only had a very brief, passing thought about going to medical school which I quickly discounted, for example, yet some people thought that was the core issue of my post. I also have zero interest in DONATING my money to charity at this point, yet some people thought that was a core issue of my post. Medical research and charity were red herrings for some people who read the post. I'm interested in social entrepreneurship, not charity. I also have tons of my own ideas and have no trouble spending my money (on business or pleasure)...but I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, because I can only implement so many ideas myself. Interestingly, some people also thought I was having a huge identity crisis based on my post, which is not the case. I apparently injected too many specifics in the post... Some people that commented on that thread actually helped me crystallize my thoughts better, though: 1. "Software is powerful. Engineers are powerful." (via falsestprophet) To this I would add that youth and inexperience are also powerful. And they are also the people most likely to underestimate their power and their ability to change the world for the better. 2. There are people changing the world with your skillset RIGHT NOW. To think that you can't do anything is a cop-out. (via altay, falsestprophet, Hexayurt, and others) 3. "If you are not working on the most pressing issues in your field...why not?" "If you are not tacking the biggest problem you can tackle with your skillset, why not?" As someone pointed out, everything has an opportunity cost. The true CORE idea of my post was to prompt people to examine those opportunity costs and weigh whether they are working on something that will have the biggest positive impact, versus just working in a hot field (or on pedestrian ideas that they think they can flip for cash.) In sum, don't settle. 4. Changing the world for the better doesn't have to involve curing cancer or saving the lives of African children. Again, I may have thrown out a red herring with the medical stuff. If you are saving people time and money, then that's great. But, even then, is it THE optimal solution? Etc. Etc.
- axiom 19y ago
  How come you always apologize for your posts, when they are always so awesome? :) I really enjoy reading what you have to say. Keep it up.

run4yourlives 19y ago

Something tells me you've got some great people working for you. :-)

german 19y ago

Good question axiom , great answer Shooter! I will just add that resumes could be tricky so the interviews are critical, I would look for Creativity, for me that's the most valuable thing in a startup (of course if the person you are hiring has the basic knowledge for the job). In addition to Shooters question I would ask: How can we do it better? Hope it helps.

alex_c 19y ago

I'm a big fan of open-ended questions in interviews, and this is a great one - assuming the candidate can be expected to have enough background knowledge to answer it. Thanks, added it to my mental list of interview questions :)