The 6 People You Should Never Hire

Hiring mistakes can cripple a startup in energy, infrastructure, or industrial technology. This simple three-trait framework helps CEOs spot great team players and six dangerous hiring archetypes before they join the company.

The Frramework:

Adapted from Patrick Lencioni’s "The Ideal Team Player," this episode applies three traits to climate tech hiring: humble, hungry, and smart, meaning emotionally intelligent.

Even talented candidates can fail when one of these traits is missing.

Seven things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Why humble + hungry + smart is a powerful hiring filter.
2. Why character can matter more than climate or energy expertise.
3. How the Accidental Mess-Maker creates problems despite good intentions.
4. Why the Lovable Slacker can quietly slow a fast-growing startup.
5. How to recognize the ambitious, charismatic Skillful Politician.
6. Why Bulldozers can deliver results while damaging the team around them.

The one interview question that matters:

Which virtue is missing?

Read more here:

https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com/p/which-climate-tech-character-did

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