Part 1
You Don't Have a Hiring Problem. You Have a Talent Density Problem
Your company feels slow and the instinct is to hire. Most scaling companies aren't understaffed, they're under-concentrated.
Read the companion articleVideo Series · 19 parts
Talent Density
A 19-part series for founders and people leaders on talent density: the share of your team that is genuinely exceptional. How to measure it, hire for it, and protect it as you scale, hosted by Deepti Gupta, co-founder of Sageo.
Watch the full playlist on YouTubePart 2
Performance Isn't a Bell Curve (And Your Reviews Assume It Is)
If your reviews run on a bell curve, you may be quietly telling your best people to leave.
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How to Measure Talent Density: The One Number Founders Should Track
You track revenue, burn, and pipeline every week. Here's the number most founders never track.
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The Slow Drift: How Growing Companies Lose Their Best People
Companies that lose their edge don't make one bad decision. They make a hundred small, reasonable ones.
Read the companion articlePart 5
The Adequacy Tax: The Hidden Cost of Mediocrity
Mediocrity doesn't show up on your balance sheet. But you're paying for it every day.
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The 3 Types of Adequate Performers Slowing Your Team Down
The people slowing you down aren't your worst performers. Often they're your nicest, busiest, or most talented.
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Revenue Per Employee: The Talent Density Metric Investors Watch
Want to see the adequacy tax in one number? Stop looking at headcount. Look at revenue per employee.
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The Best Hire You'll Make Isn't on a Job Board
The best people aren't applying to your jobs. Most of them aren't even looking.
Read the companion articlePart 9
Hire One Great Person, Not Two Average Ones
Would you rather hire two average people, or one exceptional person for the same money?
Read the companion articlePart 10
Stop Trusting Your Interviews: How to Hire for Real Capability
The most confident person in your interview is often just the best at interviews, not at the job.
Read the companion articlePart 11
Is Your Hiring Raising the Bar? The New Joiner Delta
Most companies find out their hiring bar broke 12 to 18 months too late. The new joiner delta catches it early.
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What Stack Ranking Did to Microsoft
You can hire brilliant people and still lose them to your own performance review system.
Read the companion articlePart 13
The Netflix Keeper Test, Explained
Netflix evaluates people with one question: would I fight hard to keep this person?
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The 4As of Feedback: Netflix's Model for Safe, Honest Feedback
High standards without good feedback isn't a performance culture. It's management by surprise.
Read the companion articlePart 15
Why Most PIPs Fail (And How to Make Them Work)
In most companies, everyone knows a PIP isn't a plan to improve. It's a plan to leave.
Read the companion articlePart 16
Psychological Safety Isn't Comfort. Here's What It Really Means
Can you raise the bar and still have a team that feels safe? You don't have to choose.
Read the companion articlePart 17
The Two Kinds of Fear Every Leader Must Understand
The best teams aren't fearless. They're safe to fail and driven to win.
Read the companion articlePart 18
The 3Es: How to Grow Exceptional People So They Stay
You worked hard to hire exceptional people. Here's how you lose them: you stop helping them grow.
Read the companion articlePart 19
The Honest Trade-offs of Talent Density
Talent density has real costs. The companies that do it well face them head-on.
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The written series
Prefer to read?
The same ideas in depth, as a set of long-form articles on the blog.
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