Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1348IR // #c1348Synthesis

"I needed to see that prospective hires were consistent over time; that they had been updating and adding to their own blog at a pace and frequency that were within the realm of how we did things at Barstool."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

You're hiring for a role where sustained output matters and candidates can show what they've already made.

[Why it matters]

Big Cat was a caller to Portnoy's radio show who already ran his own Chicago blog. Portnoy knew within seconds that he was the hire. An existing body of work at your pace beats any interview.

Filed under situations:When the team is looking to you to lead

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1345"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."You need paying customers before you have a finished product. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.

Same situation, different book

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