Innovation Awards Criteria

The key to designing powerful interview questions is to focus on cognitive patterns rather than past accomplishments. Research shows strong connections between certain thinking patterns and job success. For example: • Original thinking strongly predicts innovation ability • Intellectual independence correlates with leadership effectiveness • Perseverance consistently outperforms raw intelligence in predicting achievement These research findings demonstrate why carefully crafted questions matter. To develop your high-impact questions, focus on five cognitive domains that predict exceptional performance. Follow this formula to create questions that uncover thinking patterns, not just experience: 💡 Design questions targeting original thinking: Ask about problems candidates see that others miss. Format: "What [challenge/opportunity/trend] do you notice that seems overlooked by most people in [relevant context]?" This reveals pattern recognition and the capacity for novel insights. 💡 Craft questions probing intellectual independence: Encourage candidates to articulate contrarian but thoughtful positions. Format: "Where do you find yourself disagreeing with conventional wisdom about [relevant domain]?" This assesses courage and independent analysis. 💡 Develop questions that examine perseverance: Structure questions around specific obstacles that have been overcome. Format: "Tell me about a time when you pursued [relevant goal] despite [specific type of setback]." Focus on process over outcome. 💡 Create questions measuring intellectual flexibility: Ask candidates to describe evolution in their thinking. Format: "What important belief about [relevant domain] have you revised recently and what prompted this change?" This evaluates adaptability and learning orientation. 💡 Formulate questions exploring intrinsic motivation: Probe self-directed development activities. Format: "How do you invest in developing [relevant skill/knowledge] when it's not required by your role?" This reveals a proactive growth mindset. The most effective questions avoid hypotheticals and instead target specific behavioral patterns that reveal how candidates actually think and operate. That's how you can develop interview questions that identify true potential—uncovering the cognitive patterns that transcend resume qualifications. Coaching can help; let's chat.  Follow Joshua Miller #executivecoaching #interviewing #careeradvice

One of the reasons I continue to be fascinated by software is not the big, headline-grabbing innovations. It’s the tiny features that quietly remove friction from everyday life. A simple example from this morning. I pay my local ironing service based on the number of clothes I give him. Every time I needed to make a payment on PhonePe , I would first open my iPhone calculator, multiply the number of clothes by the rate, remember the amount, switch back to PhonePe, and then make the payment. A small inconvenience, but one repeated dozens of times. Today, I noticed that PhonePe has integrated a calculator directly into the payment screen. I could simply enter “35 × 8” and pay ₹280 immediately. No app switching. No mental context switching. No extra steps. From a technology standpoint, this is hardly a groundbreaking feature. But from a user experience standpoint, it’s brilliant. It reminded me that great software isn’t always about AI, cloud, or billion-dollar platforms. Sometimes it’s about teams that obsess over customer journeys, identify tiny moments of friction, and relentlessly eliminate them. I often wonder about the product discussions behind features like these. How many customer observations led to this idea? How was it prioritized among hundreds of competing requests? How many such seemingly small improvements sit in the pipeline waiting to make someone’s day a little easier? The digital world has given us incredible agility, but its real magic lies in these thoughtful details. Small features. Tiny moments. Meaningful impact. That’s the beauty of software. #ProductManagement #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #SoftwareEngineering #Innovation #PhonePe #ProductThinking

Most hiring advice focuses on résumés and technical skills — and completely miss the point. The real way to identify top talent? Pay attention to how they think, communicate, and challenge ideas. When I was building proprietary tools for my business, I interviewed three candidates. First candidate: From the start, something felt off. His camera was blurry, his responses were vague, and he struggled to articulate his ideas. When I asked how he would approach a specific problem, he paused, mumbled a few disconnected thoughts, and quickly pivoted to something unrelated. It felt like he was grasping for the right answer instead of actually thinking through the question. Second candidate: He was polished and professional. He had a structured way of gathering information and asked all the expected questions—“What features do you need?” “What’s your timeline?” “What are the specifications?” It was a solid conversation, but something was missing. His focus was on execution, not impact. He never asked why I needed these features or how they fit into the bigger picture. Third Candidate: From the start, the conversation felt different. He listened carefully, then asked, “What’s the real problem you’re trying to solve?” Instead of diving straight into execution, he wanted to understand the users—who they were, what challenges they faced, and how the tool would address those challenges. When I explained one of my ideas, he paused and said, “That could work, but have you thought about doing it this way instead? It might be more efficient.” That’s when it clicked. The first candidate was lost. The second candidate could execute. But the third? He thought like an owner. He didn’t just follow instructions—he improved them. Some candidates focus on getting the job done. Others push for clarity, challenge inefficiencies, and think ahead. Those are the ones who truly make a difference. If you want to spot top talent, don’t just look for skills. Look for the ones who ask the right questions.

Dear Hiring Managers: “Not every great professional started with years of experience. Someone gave them their first shot. Will you?” Too often, I see talented individuals overlooked because they don’t have the “perfect” experience. But what many hiring managers miss is that potential, curiosity, and the drive to learn can be just as valuable as years of experience. Technical skills and years of experience are important... of course, but for entry-level candidates, what often matters more is potential and demonstrated ability to learn, apply, and grow those skills quickly, even without formal experience. Relying solely on years of experience can mean missing out on talent who are motivated, capable, and ready to contribute. Here’s what really should matter when evaluating entry-level candidates: ➡️ Curiosity over years of experience. Look for candidates who ask questions, seek to understand underlying problems, explore solutions, and demonstrate a mindset focused on learning and applying knowledge. Observing how they discuss past projects, challenges, or scenarios can signal if they approach work with curiosity and a growth mindset. ➡️ Proven ability to apply skills. Look for tangible examples of their work, personal projects, volunteer work, open-source contributions, or practical labs. These demonstrate that they can actively apply knowledge and are ready to contribute, not just learn passively. ➡️ Analytical and problem-solving mindset. Beyond curiosity, candidates should be able to structure their thinking, break problems into steps, and propose actionable solutions. This can be assessed through scenario-based questions, practical exercises, or real-world problem challenges. ➡️ Team-orientated mindset. Collaboration is essential. Look for evidence of teamwork in past projects or contributions where they coordinated with others to achieve a goal. The ability to communicate effectively, seek input, and integrate feedback is a strong indicator of how they’ll contribute to a team based environment. Offering entry-level talent an opportunity does more than fill a role, it is investing in fresh perspectives, cultivating potential, and driving innovation. Has someone given you a chance to prove yourself? What do you wish hiring managers knew?

Every month, I review close to a hundred CVs from undergraduates. And here’s something many people don’t realise about how I assess talent: I 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 check the 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. I 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 check the 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻. I 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 check the 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹. None of that tells me who you are as an engineer. The only thing that 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 is your 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀—what you built, how you built it, and the 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 you chose. And this is where most CVs fall apart. 98 out of 99 rely on the same platforms: Arduino and ESP32. Basic boards. Beginner-level constraints. Predictable outcomes. But when someone shows work with Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, STM boards, or any real microprocessor-level platform, the difference is immediate. These candidates think deeper. Build smarter. Push themselves beyond the tutorial stage. And they’re the ones who almost always earn an internship or a job with us. It’s not that 𝗔𝗿𝗱𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗦𝗣𝟯𝟮 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴—𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀. But that’s exactly what they are: starting points. The industry expects more now. Your 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, not just basic experimentation. If you want to 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁, move into platforms that mirror real product environments. Show that you understand complexity, scalability, and actual engineering constraints. Your projects define your trajectory. #EngineeringCareers #EmbeddedSystems #HardwareEngineering #STEMTalent #InnovationCulture #CareerLaunch

I've interviewed 100+ engineers at Microsoft, VMware & Instacart. The best predictor of performance isn't what you think. Here's what actually works: Most technical interviews are fundamentally broken. I ask candidates to describe their home internet setup. This single question reveals more than hours of coding tests. True engineers are obsessed with optimization. They can detail their router model, network configuration, and backup systems with enthusiasm. If they respond with "I don't know, it just works" - immediate red flag. The best candidates treat their home network like mission-critical infrastructure: "If the internet dies, I'm going ninja-level to figure it out. It's as important as breathing." This reveals the first trait I look for: Deep curiosity. The second trait? Systems thinking. I ask them to explain how email works. Not looking for textbook answers. Average candidates give surface-level explanations. Great candidates dive deep into: • DNS lookups • MX records • Multi-tier architecture • Edge cases They can't help themselves - they're fascinated by complexity. The third trait is crucial: Making complex things simple. At Acompli (acquired by Microsoft for $200M), I interviewed 100 iOS engineers to hire ONE. The key question: "How would you build an app where long lists scroll at 60fps?" 99% jumped straight into technical solutions. The 1% we hired? They started by asking about user experience and performance tradeoffs. These 3 traits combined: • Deep curiosity • Systems thinking • Simplifying complexity Are worth more than any coding test. Here's the counterintuitive part: You can't teach these traits. They're ingrained patterns developed over years. That's why I'd rather hire someone who compiled their own router firmware as a hobby than someone who aced every CS course. This approach helped me build teams that: • Scaled to hundreds of engineers • Shipped products used by millions • Led to multiple $100M+ exits The hard truth: Technical skills can be taught. But curiosity, systems thinking, and simplification abilities? Those are the real predictors of engineering excellence. Want to master the founder mindset and build better? Join Founder Mode for free weekly insights on startups, systems, and personal growth: https://lnkd.in/gSjjvzt9

Over the past two months, I personally interviewed 40 engineers. In my opinion, we’re in this really awkward time window when we’re erasing lot of the old and replace it with something new. The number one takeaway is that now there is absolutely zero correlation between CVs and capabilities. The people I thought we’ll hire for sure didn’t work out, some who didn’t have the best CV killed the interview. We’ve had this before but not to this extent. I think the signals we used to identify great talent are disappearing and pretty much the only thing have left is to co-build (until new signals emerge). This puts a lot of pressure on the interviewing team so the candidates need to be carefully selected. Our process is: Round 1 - Intro, 30 mins, - important to find overlap between us and the candidate, - sell the company and the position, - binary filter at the end on right to work, remote/in-office, salary expectation Round 2 - Whiteboarding, 90 mins, Part 1 - show us something you built and you’re proud of (~20mins) Part 2 - Problem solving/whiteboarding (start at a high-level so we can find what their strengths are rather than searching for weaknesses) Part 3 - Reverse interview, candidate asks questions from us Round 3 - Co-build - we ask the candidate to build something for us in one day - underdefined scope and requirements -> lot of freedom - they can use any AI coding agent they want, the more cracked your setup is the better - we then assess: 1) Does their solution make sense? WHY did they build what they built? Can they reason well? Do they start with business/product or they jump to engineering immediately? 2) Taste - does their solution look great? Does it feel good to use their product? Does the product look modern? 3) Flexibility and adaptability - what happens if we change some of the scope? How do they handle additional requests? Can they change their mind quickly? 4) Low ego - how do they handle feedback? Are they receptive of new ideas? 5) Communication - can they communicate effectively? Is their thinking structured or scattered? Round 4 - Meeting the team / leadership I’m not sure there is a conclusion at the end except that there’s a great decoupling in our industry and there are engineers who are burning billions of tokens a month and there are others who are still debating if agentic coding works.

Behind seemingly ordinary or even worse resumes lie extraordinary talents waiting to shine. It just takes a discerning eye to uncover the hidden gems. Here are some tips to uncover remarkable candidates: 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: Instead of solely focusing on past achievements, assess a candidate's potential for growth and development. Look for signs of adaptability, willingness to learn, and enthusiasm for the role. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲: Don't judge a candidate solely based on their resume. Dive deeper into their experiences, skills, and potential during interviews and conversations. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘁: Evaluate candidates based on their alignment with your company's values, culture, and team dynamics. A candidate who may not have the most impressive resume but fits well with your organization's culture can be a valuable addition to the team. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: During interviews, ask open-ended questions that encourage candidates to elaborate on their experiences, challenges they've faced, and how they've overcome them. This can reveal valuable insights about their capabilities and character. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: Look for transferable skills and experiences that may not be immediately apparent from the resume. Candidates may have acquired relevant skills through volunteer work, hobbies, or non-traditional career paths. 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Tap into your network and ask for referrals or recommendations from colleagues, industry contacts, and trusted sources. They may be aware of hidden talent that isn't reflected in a candidate's resume. 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Consider using skills assessments or practical exercises during the hiring process to evaluate candidates' abilities firsthand. This can provide a more accurate picture of their capabilities beyond what's listed on their resume. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Be transparent about potential growth opportunities within the role and your organization. Candidates who are eager to learn and progress in their careers may be more motivated to showcase their potential, even if their resume doesn't fully reflect it. By employing these strategies, you can identify and attract remarkable candidates who may be overlooked based solely on their resumes. #talentattraction #talentacquisition #recruitment #globaltalentacquisition #sourcing #candidateexperience #employerbranding #empathy

Why Emotional Intelligence Will Define Next-Generation Products Technology is advancing fast. But emotion still drives decisions. ⸻ In sexual wellness, this gap matters. Products can be technically advanced. But if they don’t align with how clients feel, they fail. ⸻ Research shows: Emotionally intelligent design increases engagement by 20–40% Clients are more loyal to brands that feel understanding and non-judgmental Emotional alignment improves both satisfaction and retention ⸻ Emotional intelligence in products means: Understanding user context Adapting to emotional states Reducing discomfort Creating a sense of ease ⸻ It is not just about function. It is about experience. ⸻ High-performing products consider: Tone Design Interaction Feedback ⸻ There is also a psychological effect. When a product feels aligned emotionally, clients: Trust it more Use it more consistently Stay longer ⸻ Another key factor is differentiation. As technology becomes commoditized, emotional experience becomes the edge. ⸻ At V For Vibes, the future is not just smarter products. It is more human ones. Because in this category, understanding the client is what creates real value. And the brands that design with emotional intelligence will lead. #SexTech #ProductStrategy #UserExperience #ConsumerBehavior #Innovation

Met a founder yesterday who sold to NVIDIA. Here's what stuck with me. He thought he had all the answers. Built features no one asked for. Burned through cash. Nothing worked. Then what? Started actually talking to customers. Like really talking. Not surveys. Not focus groups. Real conversations. The result? Pivot. New product. Product market fit. Acquisition. Here's the kicker - he said every single breakthrough came from a customer complaint. Not from their brilliant brainstorming sessions. Not from competitor analysis. From solving customer problems. The magic isn't in being the smartest person in the room. It's in being the best listener. Your customers aren't just users. They're your R&D department. They're your product roadmap. They're literally telling you how to win. But here's what most of us do instead: - We assume we know better - We build what we think is cool - We solve problems that don't exist - We wonder why nothing sticks Real innovation happens in those uncomfortable customer conversations. The ones where they tell you your baby is ugly. Where they explain why your solution misses the mark. Where they share what actually keeps them up at night. So here's my challenge: This week, have three real conversations with your customers. Not feedback forms. Not NPS scores. Actual conversations where you mostly listen. You might just find your next breakthrough hiding in their frustrations. #CustomerFeedback #ProductMarketFit #StartupLessons #CustomerDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #startups #venturecapital