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

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

How to Use This Framework

Option 1: Manual Screening

When reviewing a resume or application:

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

Use this template for each candidate:

markdown

## [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:

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

Example prompt:

code

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]

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.

Customization

To customize this skill for your company:

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