Author: Justin Park
Last updated: February 5, 2026
See what is fresh at the farmers market
There are are two approaches to building high quality teams and both should be used:
- I'm heading to the farmers market for tomatoes to make pizza tonight.
- I went to the farmers market for tomatoes to make pizza, but I spotted some incredible eggplants instead. Now I'm making eggplant Parmesan!
Types of talent
When I’m recruiting, I will usually bucket folks along the following vectors to help me conceptualize the talent.
| Categories |
Comments |
| Doer vs Thinker |
Some people excel at executing plans, while others are skilled at thinking abstractly and creating those plans. |
A few can do both—and they’re rare. |
| Mercenary vs Loyalist | Some people are in it just for the paycheck, while others are genuinely committed to the mission.
In the early days, you need loyalists.
Having mercenaries is fine—as long as you recognize them for who they are. |
| Now vs Now & Later | Some people have the skills and experience to handle the job at hand.
Others not only excel in their current role but also show the potential to grow into future, more advanced roles. |
| Non-recruiter vs Recruiter | Bring themselves
Bring themselves and their friends
Bring themselves and their friends and have the ability to attract completely new talent
|
Super Senior Candidates
- Super senior candidates are not looking for a “job” - they are looking to enter a partnership
- You spend a disproportionate amount of time on the vision and overall strategic direction of the company with super senior candidates
- You will find yourself co-developing the strategy with super senior candidates
- Super senior candidate will effectively “write” their job description and the role will be highly customized to them
- The “interview” process is often times non-linear and quite circuitous with super senior candidates
- Remember, super senior candidates are not looking for a “job” and will be turned off by a a rigid recruiting process
Jeff Bezos
- Will you admire this person?
- Will this person raise average effectiveness of group they are entering?
- Along what dimensions might this person be a superstar?
Mark Zuckerberg
- Would I work for this person?