Clay intentionally hires marketers from non-traditional backgrounds to create authentic campaigns that stand out from typical B2B marketing. This approach focuses on capturing mindshare with fresh, creative content that resonates with modern buyers who are also regular social media users, not just readers of Gartner reports.

To maintain speed and agility in a global, always-on marketing environment, the most critical mechanism is hiring 'modern creative thinkers' who are comfortable with ambiguity. These individuals see incomplete information as an opportunity and can make decisions with only 70% of the facts, a crucial skill for rapid execution.

Vercel's hiring process for design leaders includes a take-home assignment, a practice typically for junior roles. This lets candidates demonstrate real-world problem-solving and buy-in strategies, which are difficult to assess from a portfolio of team-led projects, while also helping the candidate evaluate the company.

The common practice of hiring for "culture fit" creates homogenous teams that stifle creativity and produce the same results. To innovate, actively recruit people who challenge the status quo and think differently. A "culture mismatch" introduces the friction necessary for breakthrough ideas.

When hiring, focus on what a person has created, not their stated attributes or background. A great "invention" (a project, a piece of writing, code) is the strongest signal of a great "inventor." This shifts the focus from potential to proven output, as Charlie Munger advised.

In the AI era, marketing and growth roles are splitting into two distinct archetypes: the 'tastemaker' who has exceptional creative taste and intuition, and the 'engineer' who can technically analyze and orchestrate complex systems. Being average at both is no longer a viable path to success.

Don't default to hiring people who have "done the job before," even at another startup. Unconventional hires from different backgrounds (e.g., archaeologists in customer success) can create unique creativity. The priority should be finding the right fit for your company's specific stage and needs, not just checking an experience box.

Clay created the "Go-to-Market Engineer" role because traditional AEs struggled to sell its complex product. This new role combines sales responsibilities with a deep, product-oriented, and operational mindset, effectively bridging the gap between a technical product and its target users who are similarly technical.

For roles where skills are difficult to assess in standard interviews, Clay implements a 2-3 week paid "work trial." This allows the company to evaluate a candidate's actual performance and fit on real tasks before extending a full-time offer, de-risking the hiring process for complex positions.