I’ve hired 90+ high performers in the last 3 years. Here are 8 rare...
MATT GRAY@matt_gray_
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Feb 01, 2025
~2 min read
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I’ve hired 90+ high performers in the last 3 years.
Here are 8 rare traits I see in every single one:
Here are 8 rare traits I see in every single one:
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Grit
Most founders mistake hustle for grit.
Real grit is finishing what you start when it's no longer exciting.
It's showing up on day 457 with the same energy as day 1.
I'd rather hire someone with grit than talent.
Most founders mistake hustle for grit.
Real grit is finishing what you start when it's no longer exciting.
It's showing up on day 457 with the same energy as day 1.
I'd rather hire someone with grit than talent.
0:31
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Relentless Resourcefulness
This is what Sam Altman calls the "founder superpower:"
“The ability to stay very calm while a hurricane of crises turns around you.”
Some people find a way, no matter how “impossible” it seems.
This is what Sam Altman calls the "founder superpower:"
“The ability to stay very calm while a hurricane of crises turns around you.”
Some people find a way, no matter how “impossible” it seems.
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Optimism
Not the fake "everything is awesome" kind.
The rare type that:
• Sees patterns others miss
• Has true clarity in chaos
• Turns failures into opportunities
True optimists are realists who prepare for the worst but expect to win.
Not the fake "everything is awesome" kind.
The rare type that:
• Sees patterns others miss
• Has true clarity in chaos
• Turns failures into opportunities
True optimists are realists who prepare for the worst but expect to win.
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Constant Learning
The ROI on constant learners compounds.
Yesterday's solutions don't necessarily solve tomorrow's problems.
These people just adapt faster than everybody else.
Being surrounded by lifelong learners is how you win.
The ROI on constant learners compounds.
Yesterday's solutions don't necessarily solve tomorrow's problems.
These people just adapt faster than everybody else.
Being surrounded by lifelong learners is how you win.
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Fun to Be Around
I need people that I like spending time with.
Work can be intense. Having people who bring:
• Positive energy
• A sense of humor
• A lightness to the office
Makes a world of difference.
When we make work feel like play, we're unstoppable.
I need people that I like spending time with.
Work can be intense. Having people who bring:
• Positive energy
• A sense of humor
• A lightness to the office
Makes a world of difference.
When we make work feel like play, we're unstoppable.
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Growth Mindset
Look for people who:
• Document their failures methodically
• Implement feedback immediately
• Question their own assumptions first
Your best hires will outgrow their original role.
Look for people who:
• Document their failures methodically
• Implement feedback immediately
• Question their own assumptions first
Your best hires will outgrow their original role.
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Not Being an Asshole
Harsh truth: Ego kills companies faster than competition.
It shows up in subtle ways:
• Withholding information from teammates
• Undermining decisions they disagree with
• Making every win about them
Talent without humility is a liability.
Harsh truth: Ego kills companies faster than competition.
It shows up in subtle ways:
• Withholding information from teammates
• Undermining decisions they disagree with
• Making every win about them
Talent without humility is a liability.
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Enjoys Responsibility
They fix root causes, not symptoms.
They build systems, not band-aids.
They solve problems nobody asked them to solve.
I've never regretted promoting these people too quickly. Only too slowly.
They fix root causes, not symptoms.
They build systems, not band-aids.
They solve problems nobody asked them to solve.
I've never regretted promoting these people too quickly. Only too slowly.
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Bonus: You’ll receive my Vision Board System (worth $249) for free.
Join 172,000+ subscribers here: founderos.com/newsletter