Nudge Elon Musk’s Controversial Interview Question
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Mar 17, 2025 
In a fascinating discussion, Gerd Gigerenzer, a world-renowned psychologist and former director of the Max Planck Institute, challenges traditional hiring practices. He explores Elon Musk’s unconventional method of asking just two questions, arguing it can outperform elaborate interviewing techniques. Gigerenzer highlights how experienced managers intuitively make better hiring decisions through heuristics. Surprisingly, he reveals that having multiple interviewers can dilute the quality of candidate assessments, advocating for a more streamlined approach to hiring.
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Musk's Interview Question
- Elon Musk's hiring involves asking candidates about their toughest problems and how they solved them.
- He probes for details to distinguish genuine problem-solvers from pretenders.
One Clever Cue Heuristic
- Musk uses a "one clever cue" heuristic, focusing on exceptional ability in any area.
- This cue signals other valuable traits like perseverance and concentration.
Exceptional Ability as a Proxy
- Musk's method prioritizes exceptional ability, even if unrelated to the specific job.
- He believes this indicates the capacity to solve complex problems and is hard to fake.
