Building a Culture of ‘F*ck Yes’
A ‘meh’ might as well be a no. Hiring managers need to stake their reputations on the candidates they want to add to the team.
A few years ago, I read a blog post by the author and entrepreneur Mark Manson entitled “Fuck Yes or No.” In it, Manson recommends only going after things that truly excite you, and though the advice was meant to apply to relationships, I think it can be applied just as easily to work.
It’s worth asking ourselves what we should spend our time doing, and with whom we should spend it. For a startup with a limited supply of time, money, and attention, this might as well be the golden rule: Don’t spend your time on things or on people that you aren’t passionate about.
As Manson writes: “The Law of Fuck Yes or No” states that when you want to get involved with someone new, in whatever capacity, they must inspire you to say “fuck yes” in order for you to proceed with them. “The Law of Fuck Yes or No” also states that when you want to get involved with someone new, in whatever capacity, they must respond with a “fuck yes” in order for you to proceed with them.
We’ve applied these laws to the hiring process at my startup, and we’ve seen stunning results. Over the four years we’ve been in business, we’ve built a team with more than 70 incredible members and seen very few departures. In fact, our average full-time tenure at the company is about two years.
We don’t accept a merely adequate fit; we want people on our team to agree that someone is indispensable and undeniable.
The rule for us is pretty simple: When we’re making a final decision on job candidates, we make interviewers and managers go on the record as a “fuck yes” before we extend a job offer. And this rule applies both ways — candidates have to be equally passionate about working with us to bring our mission to life. When I conduct a final interview, I’m looking for a spark of passion and an eagerness to work on a particular project before I’m willing to go all-in.
We won’t accept a merely adequate fit; we want people on our team to agree that someone is indispensable and…
