In this thought-provoking piece, Jason Fried argues that hiring—especially at the executive level—is fundamentally about trusting your gut and recognizing that judgment often trumps quantifiable credentials. He explains that hiring is less about numbers and more about who can make the right calls when uncertainty reigns. Fried emphasizes the need for experience and instinct, noting that “in the end, it's not about qualifications – it's about who you trust to make the right call when it matters most.” He reminds us that in a world filled with assumptions and guesswork, hiring remains an art rather than a science.

Key Points:

• Gut Over Science: Fried suggests that no matter how much data you collect, hiring decisions ultimately rely on intuition and personal judgment.
• Role of Experience: The best hires are those who have proven experience and a knack for making sound decisions in uncertain situations.
• Executives and Decision-Making: For high-level roles that require setting direction and making quick judgment calls, trusted experience is paramount.
• Subjectivity in Hiring: Fried asserts that hiring is inherently subjective, stating that “everything is subjective” in the art of assessing people.
• Embrace Uncertainty: Accepting the unpredictable nature of decision-making, Fried advises, “Embrace the situation. You don't know, they don't know, everyone's guessing, some guess better than others.”
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