Lately, I’ve been focused on filling a number of key roles at SharedBook. For a variety of mostly personal reasons, we find ourselves with the opportunity to bring two experienced people into the management team, to help propel us to the next level of success. While we miss our former colleagues and hope that they will always stay a part of the SharedBook family and lore, we have the potential to add significant talent to our roster. So I am very focused once again on the characteristics that are key. No matter how many questions you ask in the hiring process, it always feels like you never know enough until the deed has been done and you’re living with the decision. Everyone’s on their best behavior in the process and it takes weeks and sometimes months for both parties to understand what they have signed up for.
I have been reading Marc Andreessen’s blog fairly regularly because his practicality and no nonsense approach speak to me each day. On the subject of hiring, he believes it’s drive, curiosity and ethics that are the defining characteristics. I agree but want to add energy to this mix. Being successful in any company – no matter what stage – takes enormous energy: energy to wear many hats, energy to tackle all the ups and downs, energy to make the right decisions and follow through on them. If there’s little energy in the hiring process, when the excitement about the prospective relationship should be highest from both parties, then there certainly won’t be later on. So I’m looking for people who have the desire to succeed, who can ask the right questions, make smart judgment calls, and persevere through the unknown. I hope to be introducing them to all of you soon.
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