The Art of the Start/Kawasaki 97-101

100 The Art of Recruiting
1) Can the candidate do what you need?
2) Does the candidate believe in the meaning you’re going to make?
3) Does the candidate have the strengths you need (as opposed to lacking the weaknesses you’re trying to avoid)?

101 I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Ralph Nader.

…one thing a CEO must do, it’s hire a management team that is better than he is.

The first is the humility to admit that some people can perform a function better than they can. Second, after making this admission, they need the self-confidence to recruit these people.

FIVE WAYS TO AVOID HIRING THE WRONG PEOPLE
1) Don’t confuse correlation and causation. Just because a candidate worked for a successful organization doesn’t mean they contributed.
2) Don’t confuse Big-Organization skills with new organization skills. Success in a big organization doesn’t guarantee success in a startup.
3) Dramatize your expectations. Make it crystal clear that working in a startup is different from what they might be used to in their previous organization. “ No secretary, cheap motels, etc”
4) Read the tea leaves when checking references. No references = negative. Or sent to the HR department = negative.
5) Trust the richest Vein. Your current employees are the richest resource for finding great people and for preventing a bozo explosion at your organization.