There have been significant layoffs at all the major tech companies, the economy has softened, and valuations are plummeting.

Now's the time to get a bargain on talent, right?

Not so fast.

Putting aside for a moment the fact that the "Laid Off Tech Workers Quickly Find New Jobs" - the reality is that "A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players" (Steve Jobs).

I can't tell you the number of conversations I've had with founders and executives who - once identifying a rockstar hire - shared some version of the following sentiments.

- "Wow, they're way too expensive!"

- "Their salary expectations are way above everyone else on our team!"

- "I'd rather hire three engineers over there than just 1 over here for the same money!"

These kinds of comments are rooted in a false assumption - namely that, generally speaking, individuals and their impact on your company are roughly comparable.

This is false.

Talent is rooted in a long-tail distribution.

In other words, a very small number of people can have a massive and disproportionate impact on the productivity and success of your company.

Why?

Because a small number of people have the experience, talent, and hustle you need (combined) to make a huge impact. And a huge impact at the early stages of your company can have a massive, disproportionate impact on your outcomes over the long term.

So to the sentiments above, I'd ask...

- Are you sure they're too expensive? What is the value of increasing the chances and scale of your success by 100x?

- So what if their salary expectations are way above everyone else on our team? Are the other people on your team as good? Are the other people on your team getting it done? Is this a game of keeping things fair for the other staff, or is it about having an outsized impact on the world?

- Are you sure you'd rather hire three engineers "over there" than just one "over here" for the same money? What if I told you this one engineer could do the work of five of those engineers - and the outcomes will be better?

In addition to all of this, AAA players want to work with other AAA players. Start hiring amazing people now, and you will start increasing the overall quality of your team and further have an outsized impact on your success.

When it comes to talent, The goal is simple. Hire the best people you can find. Incentivize them well. Hold onto them for dear life.

This is one of the many ways that Startups are counterintuitive. If you want to get more content like this, subscribe to my free newsletter at https://www.chrissaad.com/startupnewsletter