The Unfiltered Guide to Getting Hired: Unconventional Wisdom from Tech Leaders

Looking for a job can feel like navigating a maze where the rules keep changing. While recruiters often give you the polished version of what companies want, we've had the privilege of sitting down with founders and CEOs who shared their unfiltered perspectives on hiring. What they revealed might surprise you—and more importantly, could give you that crucial edge in your next job search.

In today's competitive tech landscape, understanding what founders actually look for when building their teams can make all the difference. Let's dive into some candid insights from tech leaders across our "Why Work Here" interview series that reveal the hiring truths few recruiters will tell you.

Less Experience, More Hunger

Counter to what many job descriptions might suggest, several founders expressed a preference for hiring people with less formal experience but more drive and determination.

Sagiv Ofek, founder and CEO of LibLab, challenges conventional wisdom about pedigree:

"I stopped hiring Google folks. Back in the days, used to be like... 'can you hire a Google engineer? That's the best profile you can look for'... I find those people to be extremely slow and spoiled. And I think untapped market, like people who came from the army... or people who came from even coding boot camps are performing much better... in terms of how hungry they are."

Zain Jaffer, who built and sold Vungle for $780 million, discovered a similar pattern:

"I actually found a negative correlation. The more experienced the people we hired, the less output there would be. So we went back to our roots. We started to look for hungry people who are more junior in their CV, but were amazing culture fits. And those people literally 10x'd productivity versus someone who's got a nice experience and is also enjoying the salary, not necessarily the equity of the culture of a startup."

What this means for you: Don't be discouraged if you don't have the perfect resume. Many founders value hunger and determination over experience. Focus on demonstrating your drive and willingness to learn quickly.

Prioritizing Ownership Mindset Over Technical Skill

Many founders emphasized that they value ownership mentality more than technical skills alone when evaluating candidates.

Andrew Just, founder and CEO of Train Fitness, looks for evidence of commitment to excellence:

"When selecting talent, I really look for people that have relentlessly pursued something in their life to excellence. And so they don't need to have succeeded... But I'm looking for people who have shown signs of just working far harder than anyone else in their life to achieve some sort of goal."

Adam Stevenson, co-founder of Thatch, focuses on finding people who demonstrate genuine ownership:

"One of my favorite interview question is, tell me about the thing that you build that you're proud of the most... Then you can really assess their skill set of ownership... It's one thing that they say, hey, like there was one app that a product manager came up with and he coded like few lines of code there... That's one type of ownership. Another type of ownership is like, hey, the company wanted this direction, but I really thought that this is gonna work much better and I spent all weekends and nights proving them wrong."

What this means for you: Prepare stories that showcase your ownership mentality. Think about times when you took initiative, pushed through challenges, or went beyond what was asked of you. These stories can be more powerful than technical credentials alone.

The AI Revolution in Hiring

With the rise of AI tools, founders are rethinking traditional technical assessments and putting more emphasis on problem-solving approaches.

Alexa Grabell, CEO and co-founder of Pocus, explains how AI capabilities are changing what companies look for:

"As AI has gotten extremely popular and buzzy, we've been an AI company since the day our models went live back in November of 2018... Since the kind of... chat GPT boom and now... AI and generative AI is now the hot thing that everyone loves to talk about, I think it's really just accelerated the timeline of how quickly we think we can truly disrupt personal training."

Dave Hunter from Optimal Agriculture explains how they've adapted their hiring practices:

"Because we're building up the engineering team... there's a lot of one-on-one time with me and with my colleagues. So we'll do a filter interview. And then usually we go straight into technical interviews... we have a modeling optimization and control deep dive interview... We have a software interview, which is... like a pair programming type interview where we... solve some problems together."

What this means for you: Be prepared to demonstrate how you solve problems collaboratively and thoughtfully, rather than just reciting memorized solutions. Companies increasingly value your approach to problem-solving over technical trivia.

Culture Fit Is More Than Just Buzzwords

Founders consistently emphasized that culture fit isn't about superficial traits but rather about aligning with core values and working styles.

JJ Tang, co-founder of Rootly, shares how they ensure cultural alignment:

"One of the things that I like to tell the team is that we are... demanding, you're gonna work a lot. You're also going to be in the office. Are you okay with that? If you're not, totally fine. There's plenty of opportunities that are probably going to be really great for you. But... we're just the only opportunity that is like this and so if you want that, we are the best company for you."

Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon, looks for people who want to be around other talented people:

"A's hire A's and B's hire C's and you want to work with top talent. You don't want to be the smartest person in the room and at Amperon I'm definitely not. There's so many people who have such an amazing skill set that's in the areas that are so much stronger than mine... We're now at 100 employees having a bunch of positions open especially on the technical side of things."

What this means for you: Be honest with yourself about what kind of environment you thrive in. The right cultural fit is about finding a place where you can do your best work, not contorting yourself to fit someone else's mold.

Remote vs. In-Office: Honest Trade-offs

In an era where remote work options are abundant, founders were refreshingly candid about the trade-offs between remote and in-office work environments.

Siqi Chen of Runway offers a brutally honest take:

"I 100% regret not being [in-office]. So we had no choice though. We were founded in... April of 2020... That's when the lockdowns are happening... we have tried everything to do the best we can. And... it's good... Like we tried every virtual... office thing and none of them were good. They're all terrible."

Meanwhile, Amanda DeLuca, founder of Riley, highlights the unexpected benefits of remote work:

"I've also found it to be... the best forcing function and prioritization function I've ever had... I often will say to... our employees who have kids or... anybody that I know who's working with kids is... before kids, I thought my life was... full... But... what was I doing with all my time?... Now I have childcare from... 8am to 6pm. And I know if I'm not... as productive as possible during those hours, forget it."

What this means for you: Consider which work environment helps you be at your best, and look for companies that share your philosophy. Being upfront about your preferences can help you find the right match.

Transparency as a Competitive Advantage

Several founders discussed how radical transparency has become a key part of their culture and hiring strategy.

Sophia Goldberg, co-founder and CEO of ANSA, explains:

"One of the things that I love most about Rootly is the transparency that we have as a business. This really started after the Zurp era ended in particular... we show our books. We show exactly how much money we have left, how much burn we're going through, our cash flow, how much money we're making, every single metric that we're tracking towards. Everything my finance team knows, my whole company knows."

Becca Bloch, Head of People at Magic School, adds:

"But the culture side is something we're also really proud of. So we're an in-person culture in San Francisco, which was not the most popular thing to try and start doing in 2022. But we have lunch together every day. It's a really... fun group of people. Everyone is super unique."

What this means for you: Don't be afraid to ask about transparency during your interviews. Companies that share information freely tend to foster more trust and autonomy.

Non-Traditional Paths to Success

Many founders emphasized that they value candidates who have taken non-traditional paths or have diverse backgrounds.

Lukas Biewald, founder of Weights & Biases, looks for evidence of passion:

"One thing really is curiosity... I always tell people... if you show up and you have... an interesting... GitHub page and you have... some Kaggle competitions that you've been in that just says such good things about you... I just... love to see candidates with a non-traditional background, but they have... projects."

Eddie Siegel, CTO and co-founder of Fractional AI, values real-world problem-solving:

"I think the main thing is just a real focus on getting technology working in the real world. Our customers are trusting us with their greenhouses and with millions of dollars of potential loss or potential improved profit based on the performance of our system... So one big thing is just a real focus on getting the technology working in the real world and that real... practical nuts and bolts type engineering culture."

What this means for you: Don't hide your unconventional background or side interests—they might be exactly what sets you apart. Passion projects can demonstrate your intrinsic motivation and creativity.

Advice for Your Job Search

Based on these founder insights, here are key takeaways:

1. Showcase your side projects and passion work - Even if your formal experience is limited, evidence of self-driven projects can set you apart.
2. Demonstrate ownership and accountability - Be prepared to discuss times when you took full responsibility for outcomes, even when things went wrong.
3. Show how you think, not just what you know - With AI changing technical roles, your problem-solving approach matters more than memorized solutions.
4. Research company culture deeply - Beyond reading the website, understand what working style the company truly embodies and be honest if it's a match.
5. Be clear about your preferences - Whether remote or in-office, communication style, or work pace - founders appreciate candidates who know what they want.
6. Highlight your ability to execute - Founders value people who can turn ideas into tangible results, especially in ambiguous environments.

Remember, your next job search isn't just about getting any offer—it's about finding a place where you can thrive. These insights from founders reveal that many are looking beyond conventional credentials to find people who bring energy, ownership, and fresh perspectives.

We hope these insights help you approach your next interview with confidence. The right company isn't just looking for a perfect resume—they're looking for someone who brings the right mindset, values, and potential to help them build something meaningful. And that person could absolutely be you.