Steve Jobs Was Right
The Steve Jobs quote is famous. A-players hire A-players. B-players hire C-players. Max Levchin, who co-founded PayPal, says it's true. But there's an asterisk nobody talks about.
The reason isn't talent. It's fear.
The Steve Jobs quote is profoundly true. There should be an asterisk explaining why.
Why A-Players Want A-Players
A-players love being challenged. They want someone to look at their work and say: that wasn't good enough. Let's redo it. The team dynamic makes everyone better.
They want someone to tell them — I know you're an A-player, but that just wasn't good. Let's redo this together.
A-players love working with other A-players because the team dynamics just make them better.
The Tallest Mushroom Strategy
Some B-players know they're B-players. They grind. They do good work. No problem there. But fearful B-players play a different game.
They think: if I'm surrounded by better people, everyone will see I'm not that good. The fix? Become a manager. Hire people much worse. Now I'm the tallest mushroom in the room.
If I hire a bunch of people who aren't very good, then I'll look like the tallest mushroom.
The Real Danger Zone
Levchin makes an important distinction. B-players who work hard and know their limits are fine. A-players often skip boring work. B-players handle it. Many grind their way to A-level over time.
Levchin: The danger is the B-player who has a fear of being found out. They build a team of people worse than them so they look like the tallest mushroom. Those are the ones you have to watch out for.
B-players who have fear of being found out are the ones you have to watch out for.