Finding Great Candidates

Goal: Identify candidates we'd be thrilled to have on the team. Not "can do the job" — candidates we're excited about.

"Our first 100 people are our cultural co-founders."

What Makes Someone Great (Universal Traits)

These traits apply to EVERY role. A candidate missing any of these is unlikely to be great.

1. High Agency

What it is: Takes initiative. Makes things happen. Doesn't wait for permission or perfect conditions.

How to spot it:

• Started something from nothing (project, company, community, initiative)
• Identified problems and solved them without being asked
• Phrases like "I noticed X wasn't working, so I..." or "I proposed..."
• Built things with limited resources
• Career moves that show they created opportunity vs. waited for it

Red flags:

• Passive language ("I was assigned to...", "My manager asked me to...")
• No examples of self-initiated work
• Lots of "we" with no clear individual contribution
• Job history of only joining established teams/processes

2. Grit & Resilience

What it is: Perseveres through hard things. Doesn't quit when it gets difficult.

How to spot it:

• Shipped something hard (long timeline, technical challenges, organizational friction)
• Stayed with a problem until solved vs. moving on when stuck
• Built something despite obstacles (funding, team, technical, market)
• Career shows persistence (didn't job-hop at first sign of difficulty)
• Specific stories of overcoming setbacks

Red flags:

• Lots of short stints without clear upward moves
• Vague explanations for leaving ("it wasn't a good fit")
• No examples of pushing through difficulty
• Blame-shifting to circumstances

3. Evidence of Impact

What it is: Demonstrable results. Outcomes, not just activities.

How to spot it:

• Metrics at ANY scale: "10x'd revenue", "reduced costs 60%", "shipped to 5M users"
• Promotions and increasing scope over time (trajectory)
• Concrete examples: "built X which did Y"
• Results even in resource-constrained environments
• Would their bosses rate them 8+ and hire them again?

Red flags:

• Vague: "worked on", "contributed to", "helped with"
• No metrics even for senior roles
• Flat trajectory (same level/scope over years)
• Titles without corresponding impact stories

4. Technical Depth

What it is: Everyone should code, build, or have deep technical understanding.

How to spot it:

• GitHub/portfolio with real projects
• Technical blog posts or writing
• Can explain complex systems simply
• Specific technical choices and tradeoffs mentioned
• For non-eng: deep understanding of how things work, technical curiosity

Red flags:

• Avoids technical detail
• Can't explain their technical work
• No evidence of building things
• Relies entirely on others for technical decisions

5. AI-Native

What it is: Uses AI tools daily, understands implications, sees opportunities.

How to spot it:

• Mentions specific tools: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Copilot
• Built something with AI or integrated AI into workflow
• Understands AI capabilities and limitations
• Excited about AI, not fearful
• Uses AI to accelerate their own work

Red flags:

• No mention of AI tools
• Seems unaware of AI capabilities
• Treats AI as novelty vs. fundamental shift
• Behind the curve on modern tools

6. Communication Excellence

What it is: Writes clearly, explains complex ideas simply, collaborates well.

How to spot it (their APPLICATION is a sample!):

• Clear, structured writing
• Gets to the point
• Explains technical concepts accessibly
• Good questions in interviews
• Public writing/speaking if available

Red flags:

• Rambling or unclear application
• Can't articulate their own work
• Jargon-heavy without substance
• Poor writing quality

7. World-Class at Something

What it is: Top 1% in at least one domain. Demonstrable excellence.

How to spot it:

• Recognized expertise: patents, publications, talks, awards
• Deep mastery evident in how they discuss their domain
• Built something impressive in their area
• Others seek them out for this expertise
• "The person you call" for X

Red flags:

• Average across the board
• No area of clear strength
• Jack of all trades, master of none
• Can't point to what they're best at

8. Interesting Person

What it is: Curious, diverse interests, unique perspective. Someone you'd want at dinner.

How to spot it:

• Unusual background or path
• Hobbies/interests outside work
• Asks interesting questions
• Learns continuously
• Brings different perspective to problems

Red flags:

• One-dimensional
• No interests outside work
• Generic responses
• Nothing memorable about them

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Role-Specific Traits

Beyond universal traits, each role has specific requirements. Customize these for your open roles.

Engineering Roles

• Shipped production code at scale
• System design thinking
• Code quality/testing discipline
• Open source contributions (bonus)
• Technical leadership/mentorship (for senior)

Operations Roles

• Process creation and optimization
• Cross-functional coordination
• Tool fluency (spreadsheets, project management, automation)
• Clear documentation habits
• Handles ambiguity well

Customer-Facing Roles

• Empathy and patience under pressure
• Clear communication of complex concepts
• Problem-solving with limited information
• Relationship building
• Crisis management experience

Creative/Marketing Roles

• Portfolio of shipped work
• Data-informed creativity
• Speed without sacrificing quality
• Platform-native understanding
• Measures and iterates

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How to Use This Framework

Option 1: Manual Screening

When reviewing a resume or application:

1. Score each universal trait (1-5 scale)
2. Note specific evidence for each score
3. Flag red flags explicitly
4. Assess role-specific fit
5. Make a verdict: Must Interview / Worth Exploring / Pass

Use this template for each candidate:

## [Candidate Name] — [Overall Score]/100

### Universal Traits Assessment
| Trait | Score (1-5) | Evidence |
|-------|-------------|----------|
| High Agency | | [specific quote or observation] |
| Grit | | [specific quote or observation] |
| Impact | | [specific quote or observation] |
| Technical | | [specific quote or observation] |
| AI-Native | | [specific quote or observation] |
| Communication | | [specific quote or observation] |
| World-Class | | [specific quote or observation] |
| Interesting | | [specific quote or observation] |

### Role-Specific Fit
[Assessment against role requirements]

### Why We'd Be Thrilled
- [Specific exceptional signals]

### Questions to Probe
- [Specific areas needing verification]

### Verdict
[Must Interview / Worth Exploring / Pass]

Option 2: Batch Screening with Claude

For processing multiple candidates:

1. Gather applications (export from your ATS or collect manually)
2. Ask Claude to evaluate each candidate against the framework
3. Request a ranked summary with verdicts
4. Deep-dive on top candidates

Example prompt:

I have [X] candidates for [Role]. Please evaluate each against our hiring framework:
- Score universal traits (1-5)
- Note role-specific fit
- Give verdict: Must Interview / Worth Exploring / Pass
- Rank top 5 with reasoning

[Paste applications or link to files]

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The Bar

"90% confidence that this person can do a job only 10% of candidates could do."

We're not asking "can they do the job?" We're asking "would we be thrilled to work with them every day?"

• Must Interview: Multiple strong signals across traits, world-class at something, high skill AND will
• Worth Exploring: Promising but questions remain — needs interview to resolve
• Pass: Missing must-haves, too many red flags, or just "fine"

When in doubt, pass. Better to miss someone good than hire someone mediocre.

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Customization

To customize this skill for your company:

1. Add your roles: Create references/your-roles.md with role-specific traits for your open positions
2. Adjust traits: If a universal trait doesn't apply (e.g., AI-Native for non-tech company), modify the framework
3. Set your bar: Adjust scoring thresholds based on role seniority and market conditions