When you're early, hire for slope, not position.
Position is where someone is now. Their skills, their experience, their title.
Slope is how fast they're improving. Their learning rate. Their trajectory.
A senior person with low slope will be the same in a year.
A junior person with high slope will be unrecognizable in a year.
At a startup, everything changes constantly. The skills needed today won't be the skills needed next quarter.
The people who thrive are the ones who learn fast.
How do you spot slope?
Look for curiosity. Look for people who've taught themselves things. Look for those who ask better questions than they answer.
Credentials don't indicate slope. Neither does interview performance.
But track record of rapid improvement does.
Your team's slope determines your company's slope.
Hire accordingly.
This is Founder FM. Build a team that grows.