Phil Carter

But I learned to focus less on these sort of like specialized skill sets and more on just finding really smart, hungry generalists who are ready to roll up their sleeves and figure it out.

But I learned to focus less on these sort of like specialized skill sets and more on just finding really smart, hungry generalists who are ready to roll up their sleeves and figure it out.

Yeah, there are a few things I like to do. So one is, I do often like to assign a homework assignment. And I'm very careful about this for a couple reasons. I guess to step back, there are lots of ways to introduce bias into a homework assignment like this.

Yeah, there are a few things I like to do. So one is, I do often like to assign a homework assignment. And I'm very careful about this for a couple reasons. I guess to step back, there are lots of ways to introduce bias into a homework assignment like this.

Yeah, there are a few things I like to do. So one is, I do often like to assign a homework assignment. And I'm very careful about this for a couple reasons. I guess to step back, there are lots of ways to introduce bias into a homework assignment like this.

Number one, if you give an assignment that is specifically about your company, then especially if you're an early stage company that not everybody has heard of, or not everybody deeply understands, you're going to get a lot of bias just based on who already knows your product and who doesn't.

Number one, if you give an assignment that is specifically about your company, then especially if you're an early stage company that not everybody has heard of, or not everybody deeply understands, you're going to get a lot of bias just based on who already knows your product and who doesn't.

Number one, if you give an assignment that is specifically about your company, then especially if you're an early stage company that not everybody has heard of, or not everybody deeply understands, you're going to get a lot of bias just based on who already knows your product and who doesn't.

Number two, and this is particularly true as you start to be looking at people who have families or they have other demands on their time. If you give an assignment and oftentimes it'll be like, don't spend more than a couple hours on this. Well, of course, the best candidates are going to want to roll up their sleeves and do everything it takes to deliver the best possible output.

Number two, and this is particularly true as you start to be looking at people who have families or they have other demands on their time. If you give an assignment and oftentimes it'll be like, don't spend more than a couple hours on this. Well, of course, the best candidates are going to want to roll up their sleeves and do everything it takes to deliver the best possible output.

Number two, and this is particularly true as you start to be looking at people who have families or they have other demands on their time. If you give an assignment and oftentimes it'll be like, don't spend more than a couple hours on this. Well, of course, the best candidates are going to want to roll up their sleeves and do everything it takes to deliver the best possible output.

But different people have very different limitations on their time, especially if they already have a full-time role, they've got a family at home. And so what I found works best is pick an assignment that truly shouldn't take more than an hour or two before you hit diminishing returns on spending more cycles on it.

But different people have very different limitations on their time, especially if they already have a full-time role, they've got a family at home. And so what I found works best is pick an assignment that truly shouldn't take more than an hour or two before you hit diminishing returns on spending more cycles on it.

But different people have very different limitations on their time, especially if they already have a full-time role, they've got a family at home. And so what I found works best is pick an assignment that truly shouldn't take more than an hour or two before you hit diminishing returns on spending more cycles on it.

And that number two is either more of like a hypothetical scenario or it's a company that everybody's heard of. So Uber, Airbnb, companies that are like ubiquitous at this point in the American tech mindset.

And that number two is either more of like a hypothetical scenario or it's a company that everybody's heard of. So Uber, Airbnb, companies that are like ubiquitous at this point in the American tech mindset.

And that number two is either more of like a hypothetical scenario or it's a company that everybody's heard of. So Uber, Airbnb, companies that are like ubiquitous at this point in the American tech mindset.

And then focus on a question or a prompt that really gets to a person's ability to think critically about a problem from first principles and ideally, apply some sort of quantitative rigor to that question. But that isn't going to lead to hours and hours of going through a long list of questions or packaging up a perfectly polished presentation because that just introduced a lot of bias.

And then focus on a question or a prompt that really gets to a person's ability to think critically about a problem from first principles and ideally, apply some sort of quantitative rigor to that question. But that isn't going to lead to hours and hours of going through a long list of questions or packaging up a perfectly polished presentation because that just introduced a lot of bias.

And then focus on a question or a prompt that really gets to a person's ability to think critically about a problem from first principles and ideally, apply some sort of quantitative rigor to that question. But that isn't going to lead to hours and hours of going through a long list of questions or packaging up a perfectly polished presentation because that just introduced a lot of bias.