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"Hire Employees Who Are Excited to Wear Your Logo on Their Hoodies" I was hoping this article wasn't as ridiculous as the headline, and some of the advice is g

"Hire Employees Who Are Excited to Wear Your Logo on Their Hoodies" I was hoping this article wasn't as ridiculous as the headline, and some of the advice is good... but it's stuff like this, Silicon Valley. Is it possible anymore to just want to work hard on an interesting problem, or do I really have to be a "fanatic" about it?

Karunamon 12y ago
I feel there's some truth in this: >Taking a merely professional view of the workplace, in which free agents check in and out on a transactional basis, is worse than cold: It’s not even rational. Since time is your most valuable asset, it’s odd to spend it working with people who don’t envision any long‑term future together. Given the choice of an absolute top performer who takes the view mentioned above, vs a some degrees worse performer who is excited and passionate, I'd prefer to work with the second person every time. I'm not a part of SV or its culture, either.
pessimizer 12y ago
Corollary: only hire employees who wear hoodies and wear logos.
AndyNemmity 12y ago
I've never wore my company logo. Perhaps that means I'm not passionate at what I do, and a bad fit for startups. Or it could mean that I separate my job from my life, and consider them two different things. Perhaps it has no impact on the quality of my work, or my willingness to work with others. When dealing with people, making grand statements about how to make the right decision feels wrong. We're all our own world, filled with our own opinions, thoughts, and desires. I think the sooner you recognize the inherent differences in people, the better you can make quality decisions based around how they will fit in.
mattgreenrocks 12y ago
I'm pretty cynical on the number of hard problems that SV faces. The preoccupation with growth and money-making precludes a lot of interesting problems. R&D might be more up your alley.
AndrewKemendo 12y ago
Is it possible anymore to just want to work hard on an interesting problem, or do I really have to be a "fanatic" about it? Not if you want to create a billion dollar company as a founder - which is basically the point of VC backed startups. If you want to just work at one, then sure, but that is not what this article is about.
trhway 12y ago
>"Hire Employees Who Are Excited to Wear Your Logo on Their Hoodies" how about building a company that would make it employees excited to wear its logo on their hoodies. Compare for example wearing "Palantir" vs. "SpaceX" on your hoodie :)
- spiffage 12y ago
  I'm pretty sure employees at both Palantir and SpaceX wear company-branded clothes a lot. I know that's the case at Palantir for sure.
gamechangr 12y ago
"Fanatic" Unless it's very unlikely that others are working on solving your problem as hard as you are.

Karunamon 12y ago

I feel there's some truth in this: >Taking a merely professional view of the workplace, in which free agents check in and out on a transactional basis, is worse than cold: It’s not even rational. Since time is your most valuable asset, it’s odd to spend it working with people who don’t envision any long‑term future together. Given the choice of an absolute top performer who takes the view mentioned above, vs a some degrees worse performer who is excited and passionate, I'd prefer to work with the second person every time. I'm not a part of SV or its culture, either.

pessimizer 12y ago

Corollary: only hire employees who wear hoodies and wear logos.

AndyNemmity 12y ago

I've never wore my company logo. Perhaps that means I'm not passionate at what I do, and a bad fit for startups. Or it could mean that I separate my job from my life, and consider them two different things. Perhaps it has no impact on the quality of my work, or my willingness to work with others. When dealing with people, making grand statements about how to make the right decision feels wrong. We're all our own world, filled with our own opinions, thoughts, and desires. I think the sooner you recognize the inherent differences in people, the better you can make quality decisions based around how they will fit in.

mattgreenrocks 12y ago

I'm pretty cynical on the number of hard problems that SV faces. The preoccupation with growth and money-making precludes a lot of interesting problems. R&D might be more up your alley.

AndrewKemendo 12y ago

Is it possible anymore to just want to work hard on an interesting problem, or do I really have to be a "fanatic" about it? Not if you want to create a billion dollar company as a founder - which is basically the point of VC backed startups. If you want to just work at one, then sure, but that is not what this article is about.

trhway 12y ago

>"Hire Employees Who Are Excited to Wear Your Logo on Their Hoodies" how about building a company that would make it employees excited to wear its logo on their hoodies. Compare for example wearing "Palantir" vs. "SpaceX" on your hoodie :)

spiffage 12y ago
I'm pretty sure employees at both Palantir and SpaceX wear company-branded clothes a lot. I know that's the case at Palantir for sure.

gamechangr 12y ago

"Fanatic" Unless it's very unlikely that others are working on solving your problem as hard as you are.