You're right, a lot of things take years of experience to learn, which is why solving a difficult problem is not the only way I evaluate a candidate. I definitely look at their previous experiences.
But someone who is so specialized that they can't solve problems outside their area of expertise would worry me. I don't expect a programmer to learn heart surgery, but if you've been doing C++ for years, I'd expect you to pick up Javascript in a month or two.
Now, in terms of "knowing who we actually need to be hiring for," I know exactly. I want someone who can do their thing well but shift and learn as technologies change and as the business grows, and potentially do things they've never done before well. It's integral to have people like this in any start-up (any of USV's portfolio companies) or a fast-growing company like FB.
The trick for me is, how do I evaluate this?
Lastly, here's a real-life example that hope illustrates what I'm looking for. At an old job we had built a web app that monitored an embedded device via ajax polling. The client liked the solution, but found it impractical to always have a browser window open. None of the engineering team had any experience w/ XMPP, but our research and discussions with the client led to an XMPP-based solution. We didn't have time or money to hire an XMPP specialist and we didn't want to lose the client. We had to learn and adjust.
I've already brought my partner on that project aboard my new company. But every time I step into an interview, I am wondering how I can find someone like her.
But someone who is so specialized that they can't solve problems outside their area of expertise would worry me. I don't expect a programmer to learn heart surgery, but if you've been doing C++ for years, I'd expect you to pick up Javascript in a month or two.
Now, in terms of "knowing who we actually need to be hiring for," I know exactly. I want someone who can do their thing well but shift and learn as technologies change and as the business grows, and potentially do things they've never done before well. It's integral to have people like this in any start-up (any of USV's portfolio companies) or a fast-growing company like FB.
The trick for me is, how do I evaluate this?
Lastly, here's a real-life example that hope illustrates what I'm looking for. At an old job we had built a web app that monitored an embedded device via ajax polling. The client liked the solution, but found it impractical to always have a browser window open. None of the engineering team had any experience w/ XMPP, but our research and discussions with the client led to an XMPP-based solution. We didn't have time or money to hire an XMPP specialist and we didn't want to lose the client. We had to learn and adjust.
I've already brought my partner on that project aboard my new company. But every time I step into an interview, I am wondering how I can find someone like her.