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← Agency is what makes a hire good: the willingness to take a task in a…
17 connected korrents · 16 moments from 10 Jan 2024 to 9 Sept 2026. Nearly all of them are about agency .
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motivation Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Read this korrent: Agency is what makes a hire good: the willingness to take a task in a domain you know nothing about and have learned the whole thing a week later. Agency is what makes a hire good: the willingness to take a task in a domain you know nothing about and have learned the whole thing a week later. Last stated 4 months ago
24 Jun 2026
NE
NeetCode — holds since 2026-06-24 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Agency and clock speed beat domain experience in a hire, and in a fast-moving field experience is often a crutch of habits that need discarding. — tap to centre the map on it Agency and clock speed beat domain experience in a hire, and in a fast-moving field experience is often a crutch of habits that need discarding. Last stated a year ago
5 Oct 2025
AC
Albert Cheng — holds since 2025-10-05 — tap for who they are
Same subject: AI favours tiny teams of high-agency individual contributors with blurred roles, and the coordinating manager is not needed until it is time to polish. — tap to centre the map on it AI favours tiny teams of high-agency individual contributors with blurred roles, and the coordinating manager is not needed until it is time to polish. Last stated 2 years ago
25 Mar 2025
JZ
Julie Zhuo — holds since 2025-03-25 — tap for who they are
Same subject: AI should be built as a tool that strengthens human agency, and the people leading the field should stop talking as though it will take agency away. — tap to centre the map on it AI should be built as a tool that strengthens human agency, and the people leading the field should stop talking as though it will take agency away. Last stated 2 months ago
10 Aug 2026
FL
Fei-Fei Li — holds since 2026-08-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: High-trust, high-agency teams go together: you can only be high agency if you have built trust. — tap to centre the map on it High-trust, high-agency teams go together: you can only be high agency if you have built trust. Last stated a month ago
9 Sept 2026
EB
Ed Bayes — holds since 2026-09-09 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Human initiative to push, experiment, and act without waiting for instructions seems increasingly important for getting value from AI. — tap to centre the map on it Human initiative to push, experiment, and act without waiting for instructions seems increasingly important for getting value from AI. Last stated 2 months ago
31 Aug 2026
EM
Ethan Mollick — holds since 2026-08-31 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Radical agency is finding real edges: the things other people are unwilling to do because they are annoying or unpleasant. — tap to centre the map on it Radical agency is finding real edges: the things other people are unwilling to do because they are annoying or unpleasant. Last stated 3 years ago
10 Jan 2024
CH
Cate Hall — holds since 2024-01-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The worst outcome of AI for young people is that it takes away their agency and their motivation to learn. — tap to centre the map on it The worst outcome of AI for young people is that it takes away their agency and their motivation to learn. Last stated 2 months ago
10 Aug 2026
FL
Fei-Fei Li — holds since 2026-08-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero. — tap to centre the map on it A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero. Last stated 3 months ago
28 Jul 2026
SA
Sam Altman — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: “Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now. — tap to centre the map on it “Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now. Last stated 3 months ago
28 Jul 2026
BS
Blake Scholl — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use. — tap to centre the map on it A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use. Last stated 5 months ago
2 Jun 2026
JJ
Justin Jackson — holds since 2026-06-02 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A business succeeds through a small number of highly effective distribution channels, not many mediocre ones. — tap to centre the map on it A business succeeds through a small number of highly effective distribution channels, not many mediocre ones. Last stated 3 years ago
17 Feb 2024
AW
Adam Wiggins — holds since 2024-02-17 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A first-time founder has an advantage over a repeat winner, because past success makes it too easy to raise money and hire against a big vision before there is product-market fit. — tap to centre the map on it A first-time founder has an advantage over a repeat winner, because past success makes it too easy to raise money and hire against a big vision before there is product-market fit. Last stated 4 months ago
14 Jun 2026
MP
Mark Pincus — holds since 2026-06-14 — tap for who they are
Same subject: About 5% is the most common final ownership stake for the founder of a VC-funded startup that works out. — tap to centre the map on it About 5% is the most common final ownership stake for the founder of a VC-funded startup that works out. Last stated 3 months ago
18 Jul 2026
PL
Pieter Levels — holds since 2026-07-18 — tap for who they are
Same subject: An investor who passes on a pitch they find truly novel will often still refer it to another investor, to get credit for having found it. — tap to centre the map on it An investor who passes on a pitch they find truly novel will often still refer it to another investor, to get credit for having found it. Last stated 3 months ago
5 Aug 2026
ZH
Zach Holman — holds since 2026-08-05 — tap for who they are
Same subject: As soon as founder mode is an established idea people will misuse it: founders excusing an inability to delegate, and managers deciding to act like founders. — tap to centre the map on it As soon as founder mode is an established idea people will misuse it: founders excusing an inability to delegate, and managers deciding to act like founders. Last stated 2 years ago
1 Sept 2024
PG
Paul Graham — holds since 2024-09-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Building a startup requires enough optimism to see past a problem toward a future solution that makes things better. — tap to centre the map on it Building a startup requires enough optimism to see past a problem toward a future solution that makes things better. Last stated a year ago
16 Sept 2025
JE
Jason Evanish — holds since 2025-09-16 — tap for who they are
Same subject: New businesses improve the economy for all — tap to centre the map on it New businesses improve the economy for all Last stated 7 months ago
23 Mar 2026
DH
David Heinemeier Hansson — holds since 2026-03-23 — tap for who they are
At the centre
Agency is what makes a hire good: the willingness to take a task in a domain you know nothing about and have learned the whole thing a week later.
Holds Read this korrent →
Agency and clock speed beat domain experience in a hire, and in a fast-moving field experience is often a crutch of habits that need discarding.
Holds
AI favours tiny teams of high-agency individual contributors with blurred roles, and the coordinating manager is not needed until it is time to polish.
Holds
AI should be built as a tool that strengthens human agency, and the people leading the field should stop talking as though it will take agency away.
Holds
High-trust, high-agency teams go together: you can only be high agency if you have built trust.
Holds
Human initiative to push, experiment, and act without waiting for instructions seems increasingly important for getting value from AI.
Holds
Radical agency is finding real edges: the things other people are unwilling to do because they are annoying or unpleasant.
Holds
The worst outcome of AI for young people is that it takes away their agency and their motivation to learn.
Holds
A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero.
Holds
“Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now.
Holds
A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use.
Holds
A business succeeds through a small number of highly effective distribution channels, not many mediocre ones.
Holds
A first-time founder has an advantage over a repeat winner, because past success makes it too easy to raise money and hire against a big vision before there is product-market fit.
Holds
About 5% is the most common final ownership stake for the founder of a VC-funded startup that works out.
Holds
An investor who passes on a pitch they find truly novel will often still refer it to another investor, to get credit for having found it.
Holds
As soon as founder mode is an established idea people will misuse it: founders excusing an inability to delegate, and managers deciding to act like founders.
Holds
Building a startup requires enough optimism to see past a problem toward a future solution that makes things better.
Holds
New businesses improve the economy for all
Holds