The reality is, if you need to wait to be told what to do when you walk into the office your job will soon be outsourced anyway.

Did this person take the initiative to propose new ideas and follow through with them?

Did they build a new side project? Do they create art of any form?

Did they ask for permission or did they do it anyway, and build something they believed in?

I believe in putting people in deep deep water and observing how they swim. Some tread water and some found a way back to the shore.

If I looked at just their experience, I don’t think I would have had built successful companies in the past.