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Hiring for Potential, Not Just Pedigree
In this episode of The Tech Trek, Brendan Grove, CTO and co-founder at PrizeOut, shares how his non-traditional background shaped his leadership style and hiring philosophy. Brendan dives into how being curious, humble, and pattern-aware has helped him scale teams and solve complex problems. He also unpacks how hiring for core traits like learning velocity and ownership can outperform chasing resumes full of surface-level skills. We also discuss tech debt, decision-making frameworks, and the role of engineering excellence in business success.
Whether you're a startup founder, engineering leader, or aspiring technologist, this episode is a reminder that greatness often lies beyond the obvious checklist.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Hire for Curiosity and Ownership: Brendan values engineers who "give a shit" more than those who just ace technical interviews. Passion, curiosity, and ability to learn fast are force multipliers.
Non-Traditional Backgrounds Offer Valuable Perspective: Brendan's journey from mechanical engineering to CTO helped him build pattern recognition and a strong product-building instinct.
Balance Autonomy and Accountability: Great leaders don’t need to be the expert—they need to empower others while knowing when to step in.
Tech Debt Isn’t the Enemy—Stagnation Is: Tech debt becomes a problem only when it slows you down or introduces risk. Code should be easy to change without fear.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
00:32 – What PrizeOut Does
01:13 – Brendan’s Path from Mechanical Engineering to Tech
02:59 – Humility and Curiosity as Tools for Problem Solving
04:41 – Delegating While Still Leading
06:46 – What Brendan Looks for When Hiring Engineers
09:24 – Hiring Junior vs. Senior: A Strategic Approach to Ramp-Up
11:56 – Giving Raw Talent a Chance: A Success Story
15:08 – Code Quality vs. Business Value: Finding the Right Balance
17:47 – Tech Debt: When It Matters and How to Approach It
đź’¬ Quote:
"You should be able to make small changes without being scared. If you can't, it's not a testing problem—it's a code problem."
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By Elevano
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Brendan Grove, CTO and co-founder at PrizeOut, shares how his non-traditional background shaped his leadership style and hiring philosophy. Brendan dives into how being curious, humble, and pattern-aware has helped him scale teams and solve complex problems. He also unpacks how hiring for core traits like learning velocity and ownership can outperform chasing resumes full of surface-level skills. We also discuss tech debt, decision-making frameworks, and the role of engineering excellence in business success.
Whether you're a startup founder, engineering leader, or aspiring technologist, this episode is a reminder that greatness often lies beyond the obvious checklist.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Hire for Curiosity and Ownership: Brendan values engineers who "give a shit" more than those who just ace technical interviews. Passion, curiosity, and ability to learn fast are force multipliers.
Non-Traditional Backgrounds Offer Valuable Perspective: Brendan's journey from mechanical engineering to CTO helped him build pattern recognition and a strong product-building instinct.
Balance Autonomy and Accountability: Great leaders don’t need to be the expert—they need to empower others while knowing when to step in.
Tech Debt Isn’t the Enemy—Stagnation Is: Tech debt becomes a problem only when it slows you down or introduces risk. Code should be easy to change without fear.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
00:32 – What PrizeOut Does
01:13 – Brendan’s Path from Mechanical Engineering to Tech
02:59 – Humility and Curiosity as Tools for Problem Solving
04:41 – Delegating While Still Leading
06:46 – What Brendan Looks for When Hiring Engineers
09:24 – Hiring Junior vs. Senior: A Strategic Approach to Ramp-Up
11:56 – Giving Raw Talent a Chance: A Success Story
15:08 – Code Quality vs. Business Value: Finding the Right Balance
17:47 – Tech Debt: When It Matters and How to Approach It
đź’¬ Quote:
"You should be able to make small changes without being scared. If you can't, it's not a testing problem—it's a code problem."
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