The perfect candidate for an open position is an average one. Doesn't make any sense? Read on
A new employee is like a new product:
A) We must do candidate testing (analysis) before the decision to go ahead, but no matter what we decide, results can be surprising. This is why the analysis must be focused/concise, as objective (scientific) as possible and most importantly fully comparable/relative between all the candidates
If subjectivity is still present in the end, it must be qualified with a quantifiable relative property for all candidates
B) Outcome is unknown until we measure and see Growth Over Time - can be high ROI or can be a black hole with negative ROI. In the end we cannot know for certain what will happen no matter how extensive the analysis was, but we can make sure to have objective way to track GOT and again to compare it relatively between all hired candidates ("new products"). This is our main data point and is critical in any decision making process
C) The best candidates can fail and the average ones can succeed; given a good system and large enough sample of average and easy to find candidates, success is inevitable. Our job is to take in all the objective data points and be decisive - exclusively select one of two options:
a) Pivot - change the direction we're headed, part ways (drop/change further product development)
b) Persevere - incentivize, keep on in the same direction with minimal changes that can again be measured when the time comes
D) Do all the above in short and quick cycles; the sooner we succeed or fail, the shorter the cycle will be but either way we'll learn something new and be able to apply it in the next cycle
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