Adam Leventhal

I do think there can be, for founders in particular, there's going to be pressure from the board. The pressure from the board is hire someone who is an expert in this domain to de-risk the company, this thing that I've put a bunch of money into. Part of that is the whole hire and retain search firm. They go and find the people and plugging someone in.

So then after you as a company have spent money on the search and money on an expensive person, then you feel really misled Yes. You told me to just like hold my nose and hire this person who, and with faith in their expertise, and then it didn't pan out.

So then after you as a company have spent money on the search and money on an expensive person, then you feel really misled Yes. You told me to just like hold my nose and hire this person who, and with faith in their expertise, and then it didn't pan out.

To some degree, I feel like the fakers may be the least culpable. Absolutely. Because I don't think fakers, I mean, maybe this is naive, but I think most people are basically honest or try to be. and good people. I think there are very few people who try to represent themselves as one thing to get into a startup, get underpaid, and get some stock compensation, and then try to take the company.

To some degree, I feel like the fakers may be the least culpable. Absolutely. Because I don't think fakers, I mean, maybe this is naive, but I think most people are basically honest or try to be. and good people. I think there are very few people who try to represent themselves as one thing to get into a startup, get underpaid, and get some stock compensation, and then try to take the company.

None of that makes sense. I think by and large, although I can think of some examples.

None of that makes sense. I think by and large, although I can think of some examples.

I remember in particular, there was one example who was telling me they could sell all this stuff at a previous company and they were going to be amazing. I saw that they had worked with you, and I asked. I was like, clearly this person doesn't tell 100% truth, but I'm not sure it's 100% false either. Oh, yes. And I think you told me it was closer to 99.8% false, but you're right.

I remember in particular, there was one example who was telling me they could sell all this stuff at a previous company and they were going to be amazing. I saw that they had worked with you, and I asked. I was like, clearly this person doesn't tell 100% truth, but I'm not sure it's 100% false either. Oh, yes. And I think you told me it was closer to 99.8% false, but you're right.

It was like 0.2% true. It is 0.2% true. But this is like a relatively rare example of someone who's actually like... A flim-flam man. I think mostly people show up thinking that they did the thing, that they can do it again, that it's a good fit.

It was like 0.2% true. It is 0.2% true. But this is like a relatively rare example of someone who's actually like... A flim-flam man. I think mostly people show up thinking that they did the thing, that they can do it again, that it's a good fit.

Absolutely. It is falsehoods that they are promoting. Maybe liars is fine. To some degree, everyone believes their own story. It's up to you, the founders, the board, the folks interviewing these folks to figure out what's true and what's not. That's right. That's true of every hire to some degree. Everyone comes in with some degree of divergence from reality. For a lot of people, it's small.

Absolutely. It is falsehoods that they are promoting. Maybe liars is fine. To some degree, everyone believes their own story. It's up to you, the founders, the board, the folks interviewing these folks to figure out what's true and what's not. That's right. That's true of every hire to some degree. Everyone comes in with some degree of divergence from reality. For a lot of people, it's small.

For some people, it's bigger, whatever. But especially for a high leverage, for a key role in the company, when you're hiring VP of whatever, you've got to be careful.

For some people, it's bigger, whatever. But especially for a high leverage, for a key role in the company, when you're hiring VP of whatever, you've got to be careful.

Yeah, I mean, that's what you'd hope that you can get from your board. And sometimes you can, sometimes you can't, but whether it's directly or plugging you into other founders or other leaders to help educate yourself.

Yeah, I mean, that's what you'd hope that you can get from your board. And sometimes you can, sometimes you can't, but whether it's directly or plugging you into other founders or other leaders to help educate yourself.

is actually, how do you get that wisdom as opposed to just discarding it? And not get it as the answer. What they say is not the answer, but it's part of what goes into the calculation.

is actually, how do you get that wisdom as opposed to just discarding it? And not get it as the answer. What they say is not the answer, but it's part of what goes into the calculation.

Especially, as you say, when you're hiring into domains that were previously not needed at the company. When you're hiring your first person in support, when you're hiring your first program manager, your first product manager, whatever.