“Technical” Hiring 2

Doug Leone is one the greatest venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Over twenty-five years he, and Mike Moritz, grew Sequoia Capital from a single $150 million early-stage fund to an $85 billion global powerhouse.

He doesn’t invest in technology. He invests in people.

So do you.

But how?

Through conversations.

“I hate thirty-minute interviews”, Leone said, “it takes at least two or three hours, including a dinner to get to know someone.”

But that’s not feasible. You need a salesperson, marketer, or crew member - yesterday.

Get to know people, Leone might advise. Have a conversation. Find out how they think. Can they admit screwups? Are they humble? Honest?

The secret to hiring is to hire good people. Easier said than done. But instead of candidates, think of them as people. Instead of what they’ve done, think about how they’ve done it.

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