Peter Deng, a general partner at Felicis Venture Capital, previously worked at Meta as the head of product for Facebook and Instagram for over a decade. OpenAI appointed Deng as vice-president in May 2023. He quit the ChatGPT maker in July. Deng, a venture entrepreneur and former technology executive, says he looks for self-starters when hiring.
“There’s a saying that I have, which is what I optimize for everyone that I support and everyone I hire, which is in six months, if I’m telling you what to do, I’ve hired the wrong person,” Deng stated during a segment of “Lenny’s Podcast” that was broadcast on Sunday.
- Peter Deng spent over a decade at Meta.
- The venture capitalist also served as OpenAI’s VP of Consumer Product.
- Deng said he expects new employees to be able to operate independently during the initial six months.
He further added:
“It puts pressure on me. It puts pressure on the person, and it creates this interesting environment, and this safe space to think about, ‘Are we heading towards that goal?'”.
Deng said holding himself to this bar for excellence had benefited him in three ways.
- For one, it’s a reminder to “keep my bar super high and just not settle” during the hiring process, he said.
- The bar is also helpful because it becomes a benchmark for success that new hires can work toward, he said.
- It also helps to elevate both the new hire and his performance, Deng said.
He mentioned:
“It helps me and the person operate on a different level, where the goal is not ‘Did you hit this OKR? Did you hit this goal?’ The meta goal becomes ‘Hey, are we calibrating enough? Are we getting to a spot where in six months, you’re the one telling me what needs to be done?”.
The Best Advice from Amazon’s CEO for New Managers
Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, has provided management advice that stresses employee collaboration. In a March blog post, Jassy stated that having a strong work ethic and being a team player will help you achieve at work.
“Are you a go-getter or someone who drains the room’s energy? Are you someone who cares about the mission and the team, rather than simply yourself?” Jassy wrote. “This seems so obvious, but a lot of people don’t do those things,” he told me.