Fastest job interview
An Australian company wanted a CTO to lead the team and help with AI. I joined the meeting, and they were there, but not there. So I asked why they needed me at all, and told them to write the request themselves.
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A CTO interview for a micro-investment platform
An Australian company was building a platform for micro-investments. They were looking for a CTO to lead the team and, of course, to help with artificial intelligence. I joined the meeting.
A company that wants help with AI has one question to answer first: what do you want built? If nobody in the room can say it, a CTO does not fix that. The request comes before the hire.
What should a company know before hiring for AI? Prompt it yourself
We want to build this. Before we hire anyone, write the request we would give a CTO, in plain words, and tell us which parts we could do ourselves.
There, but not there
They were there, but it was like they were not there. Cameras off, no questions, no energy. The meeting was a formality before the work had been thought about.
I have been in enough interviews to know what that means. The people who should own the problem had already handed it to the next hire. That is the moment to stop the interview, not to sell yourself harder.
Why did I stop the interview? Prompt it yourself
Here is our idea. Ask me the ten questions a good CTO would ask in the first meeting, and tell me which ones I cannot answer yet.
I can help you build yours
I build things like this with an AI agent, on my own computer. In a private session I help you do the same with your idea. Or bring it to the show, free.
Why do you need me?
So I asked them: why do you need me to solve your problems with AI? Just write the request yourself.
That was the whole interview. The hard part of AI is not the technology any more. It is knowing what you want, in words. Once the request is written, the agent does most of what they wanted a CTO for.
Write the request before the job ad. If the request is clear, try prompting it first. If it is not clear, no hire will make it clear.
Should we hire someone or prompt it ourselves? Prompt it yourself
Here is what we want to build. Give me the first version we can prompt ourselves this week, and what would still need a person.
Start with your own request
Write down what you want built, in plain words, as if you were briefing a person. Then give it to the agent instead. The answer tells you what you really need.
What do I do next? Prompt it yourself
Here is our request. Build the first version, and tell me what you need from us to finish it.
Prompty