By Jason Fried · world.hey.com · @jasonfried on X · LinkedIn
Jason Fried argues that the common hiring requirement of 'years of experience' is a weak signal, since time spent doing something doesn't guarantee anything was actually produced or learned. He proposes evaluating candidates on 'years of evidence' instead: concrete, substantial bodies of work they can point to. He notes that newcomers and hobbyists may lack formal tenure but often have portfolios of personal projects that reveal their capability. The core message is to judge people by the work itself, not by titles, tenure, or career paths, because the work is the truth.
01Key takeaways
- Be skeptical of 'years of experience' as a proxy for ability, since time doesn't guarantee output or growth.
- Ask candidates to show a substantial body of their work rather than relying on credentials.
- Look for evidence in hobby projects and side work, especially from people early in their careers.
- Weigh titles, tenure, and career path lightly compared with what someone has actually made.
- Review real work samples directly as the most reliable signal of capability.
02Key sections
- Why years of experience is a weak signal
- Tenure alone says little, because a person can spend many years in a role without producing anything meaningful. The author treats the phrase as a poor hiring standard.
- Replace time with evidence
- The alternative is to look for candidates with 'years of evidence': deep, visible collections of their output that they are proud to share.
- Look beyond formal careers
- Early-career people or those who have pursued work as a passion often have hobby projects and personal work that demonstrate real skill, even without traditional experience.
- Judge the work, not the résumé
- Titles, tenure, and career paths are secondary. The concluding principle is to always examine the actual work, which is the most honest indicator of ability.
03From the post
“"Years of experience" has been a gold standard hiring requirement since forever. It's a terrible one. Someone can do something for years and have nothing to show for it. Seek people with "Years of evidence" instead. People with deep examples of work. Piles of stuff they've made. An overflowing collection of output they're proud to share. If someone's brand new…”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.