There is a law in team dynamics that is counter-intuitive: “Good” is the enemy of “Great.”
When you have a team of A-Players (Self-driven, high-agency), they move at the speed of trust. They don’t need meetings. They don’t need supervision. If you add one B-Player (Competent, but needs direction/checking) to this team, you don’t just lower the average. You destroy the system.
The Steve Jobs Principle
Steve Jobs famously said: “A-Players like to work with A-Players. If you hire a B-Player, they start hiring C-Players. The Bozo Explosion happens.”
The 3 Costs of the B-Player
1. The Supervision Tax A-Players solve problems. B-Players create “questions.” If your A-Player has to stop their deep work to explain something to the B-Player for the third time, you have turned a Ferrari into a school bus.
2. The Morale Leak Nothing frustrates a high-performer more than seeing a mediocre performer get the same paycheck. It signals: “Excellence is not required here.” The moment that signal is sent, the A-Player updates their LinkedIn profile.
3. The Speed Limit A convoy moves at the speed of the slowest truck. If you have 4 Cheetahs and 1 Turtle, you don’t have a pack of Cheetahs. You have a parade led by a Turtle.
The Protocol: Hire for Slope, Fire for Drag
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The “Hell Yes” Hiring Rule: When debriefing an interview, if the answer isn’t “Hell Yes,” it is “No.” “Maybe” is “No.”
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The Probation Cliff: You know within 2 weeks if someone is an A-Player. If you have doubts at 2 weeks, fire them. Do not wait for the 90-day review.
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The Keeper Test: (From Netflix) “If this person told me they were leaving for a competitor, would I fight hard to keep them?”
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If the answer is No… give them a severance package today.
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#DhandheKaFunda: You are not building a family; you are building a sports team. Cut the players who can’t keep up, or you will lose the championship.