Growth Mindset Trumps All in Hiring

Hiring for Growth Mindset: A Critical Leadership Lesson

Peter Dang, who has led product at Facebook, Instagram, Uber, and OpenAI, made a hiring mistake early in his management career at Facebook
He hired someone who lacked growth mindset, creating significant challenges in their working relationship
This experience became a pivotal learning moment that shaped his future hiring approach across multiple high-growth companies

After this experience, Peter made growth mindset his top hiring priority across all companies
He developed a specific interview approach focused exclusively on assessing growth mindset
When joining new organizations, he insisted on conducting the final interview for all candidates in his org
He partnered with recruiting to develop a specific rubric for growth mindset assessment
He deliberately chose not to focus on product sense, design, execution, or metrics in his interviews, trusting his team to evaluate those areas
He developed a specific interview question: "Think about one of the biggest mistakes you've made - the more painful the better. Tell me what the mistake was, describe the situation, and how you think differently now as a result."

This approach helped Peter build exceptional teams across multiple companies
At OpenAI, he built a team that included the current head of engineering, lead product engineer, head of design, and head of marketing at ChatGPT
His teams have consistently delivered breakthrough products including Facebook News Feed, Instagram's growth, Uber Reserve, and ChatGPT Enterprise
The growth mindset interview creates a foundation of psychological safety, as candidates have already shared vulnerabilities before joining
This approach helps identify people who are genuinely reflective and can articulate how they've evolved from failures

Growth mindset is a meta-skill: Without it, other skills can't develop effectively. If someone isn't open to feedback and learning, they'll struggle to improve in any area.
Vulnerability signals strength: The willingness to discuss failures authentically reveals more about someone's potential than discussing successes.
Trust your team's expertise: Leaders should focus on the areas they uniquely value rather than duplicating assessment in areas others can evaluate.
Create psychological safety early: Starting the relationship with vulnerability creates a foundation for honest feedback later.
Look for reflection quality: The depth and authenticity of someone's reflection on mistakes reveals their capacity for growth.
Prioritize meta-skills over technical skills: Technical skills without the right mindset won't lead to long-term success or team cohesion.
Be intentional about what you personally assess: As a leader, identify what you uniquely value and make that your focus in the hiring process.