Experience and Committment

I was catching up with a former teammate of mine at a student run venture fund who ended up leading the team a few years later. We reminisced about the old times back when we were teammates. We also discussed how the highest performers on our team we’re never the ones with stacked resumes. And he joked to me that from his three years of experience, there’s an inverse relationship between how stacked resume someone’s resume is and their impact in the organization.

I’ve been on the recruiting side of many organizations. And I found that the most experienced candidates with the big logos are the most sexy. They have the most to offer the organization too in terms of network and skills. But they have optionality and aren’t as committed.

Then there are folks that don’t have the experience but are hungry and have a chip on their shoulder. I love betting on these people. They have the most to gain.

The ideal candidate, though it’s quite rare, is one that is experienced and committed.