You do not have to be a rockstar programmer to rock the product team.
Today is the last day for 18-year-old Scott at LandX. So I will dedicate my blog post today to celebrate Scott.
How we found Scott
We found Scott because Jerrell and Scott are close friends and Jerrell was an intern at NuMoney then. It was crunch time, and we needed more programmers badly, so Jerrell reached out to his mates who were enjoying their summer holidays, and Scott was the only one that passed our programming test.
How we hired Scott
Scott was primed to head to Berkeley (California) for his degree in August 2018. A month before then, Scott spoke up at our regular Monday cross-team video call and provided deep and confident insights that paired an understanding in product and business requirements. I interrupted Scott halfway and asked if he was available for a full-time position.
A week or two later, Putra and I convinced this nubile (then) 17-year-old to defer his education and join us, hah.
Not a rockstar programmer
Because he does not need to be, Scott was a jack of all trade, a consequence of an intense curiosity towards everything in life. That is a good thing, and that is the ingredient that great product managers are made of. So why be a world-class brick-layer when you can be a world-class architect?
It is deeply satisfying working with smart people like Scott, and it is one of the biggest reasons why I built my own company. To hire a crew of individuals that I deeply respect, working towards a common mission.
But alas, I will miss Scott because he's fun and a joy to hang out and chat with.
Also, Scott, lose some weight for fuck's sake.