Why we took 2 months to hire a Graphic Designer

This week we FINALLY onboarded a Graphic Designer to our team.
We went through 136 applications, 7 interviews, and over 2 months to do this - why? because taste matters. 

Some attributes cannot be taught.
These attributes will increasingly differentiate an average hire from a rockstar.

One of these is Taste.

Why does Taste matter?

Good taste pays more than great skills

Taste is the ability to differentiate between the great and good

Taste isn't just about aesthetics; it's about the ability to discern greatness from the good.

It's understanding the pulse of what's cool and where it's heading.

Taste is nurtured through silence, curiosity, experimentation, and a dash of healthy criticism.

Taste looks like Yeezy, Ramsay, and Jobs

Taste also means the person is deeply curious in their specific domain.
‘If your curiosity drives you towards certain forms of beauty, then a continued personal interest within this beautiful domain may lead you to begin developing taste within it.’

In the past few years, I’ve noticed a trend - products have lost their flavour.
Everyone is simply copying what worked and trying to make a better version of it.

Products are becoming functional but lacking that touch of elegance, that spark of creativity.

Let’s make products beautiful again!

Maybe, this is the key underlying factor that all the Demo Day teams should pay attention to 👀 

Oh yes, that reminds me.
Demo Day for C9 has now officially started!

This means, 6 teams have to build products from the ground up within 3 weeks. The problems they are addressing are incredibly varied, ranging from a product designed to assist hiring managers in streamlining the interview process and identifying the most qualified candidates to a pet wellness app.

I can’t wait to see what the C9 folks build.