Part 1 of 20 in How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian FoundersPart 2 →
This chapter explains the sources and intentions behind this guide for Indian founders on hiring top talent. It clarifies the adaptation of the A Method for Hiring and provides context on the use of case studies.
- The guide adapts the A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street.
- The author is not affiliated with ghSMART.
- Indian case studies are composites or based on public practices.
- The guide is not legal advice; consult a labour lawyer for legal matters.
- Chapters can be shared freely for non-commercial learning.
This book is an original adaptation written for Indian founders. It draws on the four-step A Method for Hiring described by Geoff Smart and Randy Street in their 2008 book Who: The A Method for Hiring. I am not affiliated with ghSMART. If this guide is useful, buy and read the original. It remains one of the few hiring books that treats talent as an engineering problem rather than a personality contest.
The Indian stories in these pages are teaching cases. Some are composites drawn from patterns I have seen as an angel investor and mentor. Some rest on publicly discussed practices at well-known Indian companies. None of them is a confidential account of any portfolio company. Names of composite founders have been changed.
This is not legal advice. Indian labour law, shops-and-establishments rules, POSH obligations, PF/ESI, and state-specific notice norms change. Before you write an offer letter or part ways with someone, speak to a labour lawyer who actually practises in your state.
Stories are teaching tools. Laws change. Nothing here is an offer of employment counsel, investment advice, or a representation about any named company beyond what is already public. I write as a mentor and investor, in a personal capacity.
Each chapter stands on its own, so you can read them in any order. Founders may share them freely for non-commercial learning. Please keep the byline and this note intact.
A Players hire A Players. B Players hire C Players. The company then goes to the dogs.
That line is the whole book. Everything else is the method that stops you from becoming the B Player who does not know it yet.
Further reading
Who: The A Method for Hiring, Geoff Smart and Randy Street. Read it. This guide is a companion for Indian ground, not a replacement.
Topgrading, Bradford D. Smart, for the longer family history of the method.
The public essays of Indian founders who have written honestly about early hiring, including Shashank Kumar’s notes on Razorpay’s first team. Read them as practitioners, not as scripture.
Frequently asked questions
What is the A Method for Hiring?
The A Method for Hiring is a four-step hiring process described by Geoff Smart and Randy Street in their 2008 book.
Are the case studies in this guide real?
The case studies are teaching cases, some are composites, and others are based on publicly discussed practices at Indian companies.
Is this guide legal advice?
No, this guide is not legal advice. It recommends consulting a labour lawyer for legal matters related to hiring.
Can this guide be shared?
Yes, the guide can be shared freely for non-commercial learning, as long as the byline and note are kept intact.
What should I read alongside this guide?
Start with Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street, then Topgrading by Bradford D. Smart for the longer history of the method.