The Messy Desk

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When I see the desk isn't messy, it just looks to me like there's an input that's not being used. And then I get suspicious, well, what other inputs is there a lot of slack on? Their own labor, their own effort, their own intelligence? "I do know some very successful people with very neat desks, but it rubs me the wrong way"

How can one identify and predict talent? On a search to answer this question and others like it, Tyler Cowen joined venture capitalist and entrepreneur Daniel Gross to explore the art and science of finding talent in their new book Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World. In a panel discussion hosted by Shruti Rajagopalan, Cowen and Gross discuss the applications of their new book, particularly how lifestyle characteristics can indicate an individual is capable of great creativity and talent.

Daniel and Tyler also discuss undervalued talents and skills, what talents they look for in the start-up and investment world, why there is no good chocolate ice cream to be found in San Francisco, what their exercise preferences indicate about their personalities, how they approach identifying talent in different countries and industries, how immigration impacts entrepreneurialism, the short-comings to Zoom interviews, what a messy desk reveals about a person, and more.

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Recorded June 29th, 2022 Other ways to connect

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