JNNC

"I have a specific reason for this. In a startup, everybody has ideas and it is encouraged but we have to make choices, resources are limited and ideas need to be prioritised. It helps to have people on-board who have ideas and can put it up in the right manner but it is important that they also accept that their idea might not be implemented right away and that it is not a reflection on the idea but on the priorities of the institution," Iyer says.

Question: "Tell us one thing that you would change in our product/service. This gives us an insight into what homework has been done by the candidate, whether an effort has been put to understand the product, market and the need it fulfills."

Soft skills

Question: "How important is a plan and to what detail will you plan your work?"

"In a startup, there is a plan but the plan keeps changing. At times, fast course correction puts off people and they feel that the effort put into planning has come to zilch. But it is important to plan also it is important that people should be willing and ready to re-plan. The candidates? answer to this question tells me about his commitment to planning, strategizing yet flexibility to change," Iyer says.

Question: A startup can sink or sail. How does a high-risk proposition fit in with your career goals?

"Startups need individuals who put the learning experience at the core of their career goals. Individuals who seek learning and new experience over security are prized. The answer will also be an indication of the confidence the candidate has in his/her abilities," he says.