founders paras chopra, chapter by chapter
50. Hire for a Change, Not a Role
Define the result a person must create before choosing the label attached to the job.
Generic titles hide enormous variation in what people can and should do. Hiring a “sales manager” or “engineer” without defining success invites a plausible résumé rather than the specific performance the company needs. Star performance is contextual: it is a concrete change in the organization over a defined period.
Imagine the perfect hire 12–18 months later and write what is now measurably different because of them. Use that outcome to design interviews, set expectations, and structure onboarding. If the desired change is vague or impossible, the company is not ready to hire the role.
Original sketch and model by Paras Chopra. Read the source chapter.