* When I’m building out a team from scratch, or supplementing an existing team, I look self-reflectively at my own weaknesses. I then add well-rounded team members who compensate for my own blind spots. Example: X at (small startup) was hired as a PM to help me, as an executive, maintain focus and keep a structured day. She also performed critical market research and competitive analysis. Neither task is something I have strength in without help. She helped balance my own skills by supporting my weaknesses with her strengths. * When hiring, I evaluate soft skills such as having fruitful conversations even when they’re hard. I look for people who are thoughtful and curious, and who enjoy scope and complexity. These individuals work to align to common goals, and are always asking “‘how can we do better?” Example: X at (large insurance provider), although a remote team member, asked very detailed clarifying questions to ensure that projects were fully scoped. He frequently prototyped and showed off his work, taking the time to pass his engineering understanding and standards down to more junior members of the team. * I prize candidates who can successfully self-unblock, make independent decisions at the site of the problem, and be able to contribute meaningfully across technical, product strategy, and project management. Example: X at (large co-working company) was empowered to make decisions across the team, allocated budget to enhance team cohesion, and sat in on technical meeting as a non-technical customer representative.