4 ms·

Process, management, de-empowerment, hiring B people.

by ffrryuu 13y ago

smtddr 13y ago
Of course, it's more complex than that. Surely you're not suggesting to completely eliminate all four of those. They each have a certain value in their own way.
- logicallee 13y ago
  Yeah all the YCombinator startups that are killing it started with 2 guys/girls, then proceeded to add on a lot of process, management, de-empowerment, and hiring B people. That's how they made it - look at any of them!
  - bowlofpetunias 13y ago
    In fact, that is exactly what happens in most startups due to the lack of experience on the part of the founders. Mature companies have already made those mistakes. Startups in the early growth phase are often some of the worst places to work until they figure out how to operate at scale. You would be surprised how many young companies fall straight into old school corporate habits as soon as they grow past 20 employees.
jiggy2011 13y ago
Somebody has to hire us "B people".
- DrJokepu 13y ago
  I understand that you are using self-deprecation to poke fun of the elitist parent comment, but the fact is that nobody is required to hire "B people".
  - jiggy2011 13y ago
    There aren't very many "A people" to go around, most people who think they are hiring A people are hiring B or C people. Most of the useful work on the planet is done by B or below people.
  - smtddr 13y ago
    I'm not clear on the definition of an A person versus B person. But if I apply my assumptions, experiences and observations to this situation, I would argue that you'll have to hire B-people because A-people have too much pride and ego to do B-work; a.k.a. whatever work they deem is below them. If Google was really filled with only Ph.D. holding A-people with engineering degrees and published books under their belts, no work would ever actually get done ;)
  - nikatwork 13y ago
    I see this comment all the time on HN. This is the reality of the corporate hiring world versus the Valley: 1) You are hiring for boring but important projects 2) There is a limited pool of local talent 3) The org will have banded salary caps 4) Differentiating A talent from B players is not a solved problem It feels great to say, "Just hire A graders! Problem solved yo!" The corporate world does not work like this.
  - misterjangles 13y ago
    Of course everybody would like their team to be all "A" level players. But unless you work at an elite startup with a tiny team and buckets of cash - you have to learn how to build a team from players of all levels. An all "A" team is not realistic for most companies, and even if you did assemble one they won't all stay forever. If you have a good process and thoughtful management then you can get great results from "B" level players. I see that as a great challenge as a manager - to get the most out of the whole team.
  - cousin_it 13y ago
    I wonder if "B people" are really unteachable, and if not, I wonder if software companies are missing out on a huge opportunity to hire B people and turn them into A people.

Process, management, de-empowerment, hiring B people.

by ffrryuu 13y ago

Process, management, de-empowerment, hiring B people.

Of course, it's more complex than that. Surely you're not suggesting to completely eliminate all four of those. They each have a certain value in their own way.

logicallee 13y ago
Yeah all the YCombinator startups that are killing it started with 2 guys/girls, then proceeded to add on a lot of process, management, de-empowerment, and hiring B people. That's how they made it - look at any of them!
- bowlofpetunias 13y ago
  In fact, that is exactly what happens in most startups due to the lack of experience on the part of the founders. Mature companies have already made those mistakes. Startups in the early growth phase are often some of the worst places to work until they figure out how to operate at scale. You would be surprised how many young companies fall straight into old school corporate habits as soon as they grow past 20 employees.

jiggy2011 13y ago

Somebody has to hire us "B people".

DrJokepu 13y ago
I understand that you are using self-deprecation to poke fun of the elitist parent comment, but the fact is that nobody is required to hire "B people".
- jiggy2011 13y ago
  There aren't very many "A people" to go around, most people who think they are hiring A people are hiring B or C people. Most of the useful work on the planet is done by B or below people.
- smtddr 13y ago
  I'm not clear on the definition of an A person versus B person. But if I apply my assumptions, experiences and observations to this situation, I would argue that you'll have to hire B-people because A-people have too much pride and ego to do B-work; a.k.a. whatever work they deem is below them. If Google was really filled with only Ph.D. holding A-people with engineering degrees and published books under their belts, no work would ever actually get done ;)
- nikatwork 13y ago
  I see this comment all the time on HN. This is the reality of the corporate hiring world versus the Valley: 1) You are hiring for boring but important projects 2) There is a limited pool of local talent 3) The org will have banded salary caps 4) Differentiating A talent from B players is not a solved problem It feels great to say, "Just hire A graders! Problem solved yo!" The corporate world does not work like this.
- misterjangles 13y ago
  Of course everybody would like their team to be all "A" level players. But unless you work at an elite startup with a tiny team and buckets of cash - you have to learn how to build a team from players of all levels. An all "A" team is not realistic for most companies, and even if you did assemble one they won't all stay forever. If you have a good process and thoughtful management then you can get great results from "B" level players. I see that as a great challenge as a manager - to get the most out of the whole team.
- cousin_it 13y ago
  I wonder if "B people" are really unteachable, and if not, I wonder if software companies are missing out on a huge opportunity to hire B people and turn them into A people.