The hardest part of building a business isn't hiring. It's the six months after.

I've hired people who crushed the interview. Smart. Motivated. Great energy in the room.

Then we started working together.

I asked for A. They brought B. Every time.

Not because they were bad at their job — but because what I actually needed wasn't clear enough for either of us to see during a one-hour conversation.

In a startup, you don't have the luxury of figuring this out slowly. At UniverseAI, at Dukwoo — when your team is small, one misalignment doesn't just slow things down. It shakes the entire business.

And by the time you realize it's not working, you've already lost months you can't get back.

Here's what changed for me:

I stopped assuming the problem was the person. I started asking — did I make it absolutely clear what I needed?

Most of the time, the answer was no.

So I changed two things in how I run my business:

→ I define what success looks like before the hire, not after. If I can't explain the outcome in one sentence, I'm not ready to bring someone in. → I treat the first 6 months as a real proving ground — not a grace period. It's the time for both sides to confirm: is this the right fit?

This isn't just business leadership. It's honesty — with yourself first.

Every business owner I've talked to has the same story. "I hired the wrong person." But most of the time, it wasn't the wrong person. It was unclear expectations meeting limited time.

In a startup, you can't afford to learn this lesson twice.

Know what you need. Say it clearly. Then give it 6 months to prove itself — or not.

Your team isn't built in the interview. It's built in the work that comes after.

What's one hire that taught you the most?