The venture capitalist and former tech executive Peter Deng says he looks for self-starters when hiring.
Deng, a general partner at the venture capital firm Felicis, spent more than a decade at Meta, where he served as the head of product at Facebook and Instagram. Deng joined OpenAI in May 2023 as its vice president of consumer product. He left the ChatGPT maker in July.
“There’s a saying that I have, which is what I really optimize for everyone that I support and everyone I hire, which is in six months, if I’m telling you what to do, I’ve hired the wrong person,” Deng said in an episode of “Lenny’s Podcast” that aired on Sunday.
“It puts pressure on me. It puts pressure on the person, and it creates this really interesting environment, and this safe space to really think about, ‘Are we heading towards that goal?'” he added.
Deng said holding himself to this bar for excellence had benefited him in three ways.
For one, it’s a reminder to “keep my bar super high and just not settle” during the hiring process, he said.
The bar is also helpful because it becomes a benchmark for success that new hires can work toward, he said.
It also helps to elevate both the new hire and his own performance, Deng said.
“It helps me and the person operate on a different level, where the goal is not ‘Did you hit this OKR? Did you hit this goal?’ The meta goal becomes ‘Hey, are we calibrating enough? Are we actually getting to a spot where in six months, you’re the one telling me what needs to be done?'” Deng said.
Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, has shared management advice that similarly emphasizes the way employees work together.
In a blog post published in March, Jassy wrote that having a good work ethic and being a strong team player will help you succeed in the workplace.
“Are you a can-do person instead of someone who sucks all the energy out of the room? Are you somebody who cares about the mission, along with the team, versus just yourself?” Jassy wrote.
“This seems so obvious, but a lot of people don’t do those things,” he added.
Deng didn’t respond to a request for comment.