Wei Xiaokang, a rare insider who has deeply participated in organizational building at both ByteDance (during TikTok's rapid growth) and Meituan, shares his expertise on recruiting, culture, and team dynamics for startups in the AI era. He emphasizes that 80% of hiring effort should go to clarifying needs and sourcing candidates, and that the best people are forged through battle, not training. Key insights include the shift to small, cross-functional teams enabled by AI, the importance of founder humility and confidence, and the critical role of backdoor reference checks.
Summarized by Podsumo
80% of hiring effort should go to clarifying role needs and sourcing candidates via networks, not just interviewing
People grow from real combat (70%), mentorship (20%), and training (10%)—the best leaders forge through battle
AI enables small, cross-functional teams where one person can handle product, code, and testing, drastically reducing communication overhead
Interviews are unreliable (30% error rate); backdoor reference checks with past colleagues are essential to verify candidates
Top founders are humble yet confident, learning-obsessed, highly motivated, energetic, and skilled at building organizational systems
"The most important thing a founder can do is build the organization's capabilities. Relying on one person alone is not enough."
— Wei Xiaokang
"If a founder can't quickly judge who's good or bad and reward appropriately, the company can't scale."
— Wei Xiaokang
"Today's AI era is like the early days of the PC internet. There's a huge opportunity to build something great, not just a personal brand."
— Wei Xiaokang