Why hunting for unicorns is bullshit • Hacker News Board

Re: Why hunting for unicorns is bullshit

#11

Post by logfromblammo » Wed, Jul 01, 2015, 5:07 PM UTC

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #5

I thought the whole point of the term "unicorn" was to indicate that you are referring to a class of employees/companies who just plain do not exist, but are nonetheless the objects of immense amounts of fantasizing.

It's a buzzword shift. You can probably just ignore anyone who says it.

I'm not sure exactly what it's replacing, because those words are equally meaningless. As Humpty Dumpty would put it, it means exactly what the speaker wants it to mean, no more, no less. Just add it to the list:

  - *unicorn*
  - rockstar
  - ninja
  - diamond
  - 10X
  - 6-sigma
  - Jedi
  - guru
  - wizard
  - unobtainium
  ...

Excessive focus on supernatural employees reveals that the company, for lack of a better term, fervently believes in magic. By hiring the chosen one, as revealed by the hidden UV-fluorescent birthmark and 10 trials of worthiness, the company will fulfill the founders' prophecy, defeat the competitors, and pay out on all the options. And everyone lives happily ever after.

The article this industry needs is one on how to build an above-median team from near-median employees without wasting any time on bullshit HR fantasies.

Re: Why hunting for unicorns is bullshit

#12

Post by smacktoward » Wed, Jul 01, 2015, 6:27 PM UTC

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #5

I thought the whole point of the term "unicorn" was to indicate that you are referring to a class of employees/companies who just plain do not exist, but are nonetheless the objects of immense amounts of fantasizing.

It was, but the problem is that the term has been picked up by clueless masses who are unable to realize that searching for a unicorn is by definition a doomed process, much like how "Born in the U.S.A." is now obliviously played at rallies by political candidates to clueless to realize it's a song about how ordinary people get screwed over by politicians.

Re: Why hunting for unicorns is bullshit

#13

Post by cgearhart » Wed, Jul 01, 2015, 6:50 PM UTC

shubhamjain wrote: post #10

canthonytucci wrote: post #7

"Design a challenge to evaluate the selected candidates’ skills. Good professionals love challenges. If the candidate refuses to do a challenge, consider this a red flag about their future commitment." To me a bigger red flag is if someone has the time and desperation to put up with this kind of bullshit. Good professionals love money and respect. Edit: IMHO the "unicorn" is someone who is both competent and spineles…

> To me a bigger red flag is if someone has the time and desperation to put up with this kind of bullshit. Good professionals love money and respect. Ouch, the cynicism here is astounding. Speaking for myself, I would love to delve into a challenge, like, cracking a small program [1], even if it gets me nothing because this, in itself, is so exciting. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8331381

I like a challenge as much as the next guy, but I'm only willing to undertake them to a certain point -- unless it is incredibly interesting I won't put more than an hour into it. It might be useful as an applicant filter, but you can't entice great engineers away from their current jobs by throwing barriers in their way.

Re: Why hunting for unicorns is bullshit

#14

Post by eli_gottlieb » Thu, Jul 02, 2015, 1:28 PM UTC

logfromblammo wrote: post #11

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #5

I thought the whole point of the term "unicorn" was to indicate that you are referring to a class of employees/companies who just plain do not exist, but are nonetheless the objects of immense amounts of fantasizing.

It's a buzzword shift. You can probably just ignore anyone who says it. I'm not sure exactly what it's replacing, because those words are equally meaningless. As Humpty Dumpty would put it, it means exactly what the speaker wants it to mean, no more, no less. Just add it to the list: - *unicorn* - rockstar - ninja - diamond - 10X - 6-sigma - Jedi - guru - wizard - unobtainium ... Excessive focus on supernatural emplo…

> Excessive focus on supernatural employees reveals that the company, for lack of a better term, fervently believes in magic. By hiring the chosen one, as revealed by the hidden UV-fluorescent birthmark and 10 trials of worthiness, the company will fulfill the founders' prophecy, defeat the competitors, and pay out on all the options. And everyone lives happily ever after.

I vote that every time we meet anyone who talks as if they think this way, we take out our smartphones and call up the My Little Pony song on YouTube until they learn to stop that shit.

Re: Why hunting for unicorns is bullshit

#15

Post by canthonytucci » Thu, Jul 02, 2015, 4:33 PM UTC

shubhamjain wrote: post #10

canthonytucci wrote: post #7

"Design a challenge to evaluate the selected candidates’ skills. Good professionals love challenges. If the candidate refuses to do a challenge, consider this a red flag about their future commitment." To me a bigger red flag is if someone has the time and desperation to put up with this kind of bullshit. Good professionals love money and respect. Edit: IMHO the "unicorn" is someone who is both competent and spineles…

> To me a bigger red flag is if someone has the time and desperation to put up with this kind of bullshit. Good professionals love money and respect. Ouch, the cynicism here is astounding. Speaking for myself, I would love to delve into a challenge, like, cracking a small program [1], even if it gets me nothing because this, in itself, is so exciting. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8331381

I think that we're talking about two different things.

This challenge seems great to get some, as the link refers to "part-time CS student" employees.

I read the original article as aimed at an employer who is trying to find an alternative to just seeking out "miracle" employees, for these people part timers with no experience are probably not what they need.

If you need someone with experience who's likely already working in the field, taking time and concentration energy away from current work/personal projects/family/life is a much harder sell.