Hire for Growth, Not Perfection

Not everything can be taught.

But more than we are willing to admit can be learned.

In decades of working with engineering teams, I have seen one pattern repeat itself. The strongest contributors are rarely the ones who arrive fully formed. They are the ones who stay curious when things get difficult. The ones who take ownership without being asked. The ones who keep moving when others hesitate.

Skills matter. Of course they do.

But skills without the right attitude create friction.
And attitude, when supported properly, creates growth.

The real question is not whether someone checks every box today.
It is whether they can grow into what the role requires tomorrow.

That is where many hiring processes fall short.
They optimize for certainty.
They filter for perfection.
And in doing so, they overlook people who could have become exceptional.

Strong organizations think differently.

They do not hire finished products.
They build them.
Deliberately.
Patiently.
With the right environment around them.

Because potential is not something you find.
It is something you develop.

This is also where the structure around teams starts to matter.
The right mix of experience and hunger.
The right balance between guidance and autonomy.

We have seen this firsthand.

When you combine strong senior engineers with motivated, fast learning talent, something interesting happens.
Growth accelerates.
Knowledge spreads.
Teams become more resilient.

Not perfect.
But capable.

And in the long run, that is what builds real strength.

Potential is not a risk.
Ignoring it is.