Craigslist's Craig & Interviewing Logic

Craigslist's Ongoing Success Linked from The Alarm:Clock.


Picture cut from The Alarm:Clock

"Of course, this startup that passed on Craig is now out of business while Craiglist is a top 10 Internet property. It reminds us that sticking to it is the best business model on the Net and that people who do not interview well should not be taken lightly." - The Alarm:Clock

I tend to disagree with the statement of Craig "not interviewing well." The startup that turned Craig down didn't do so because he was technically incapable but rather because he was "weird." I hardly consider that as not interviewing well. The "turn down" was just a result of the interviewer not understanding what were truly the important attributes of his/her hire which is a common mistake made by hiring managers in businesses of all sizes.

Hiring is an art. The biggest mistake that particular start-up made was not turning Craig away. It was hiring the head of engineering who turned Craig down which proved to be the real mistake.